


A Matter of Law

by Ymaxwell39



Series: Things That Matter [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 55,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27283555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ymaxwell39/pseuds/Ymaxwell39
Summary: A new neighbor has moved to Privet Drive. Not only is the new neighbor a wizard, he works in the law office that handled James and Lily Potter's Wills.
Series: Things That Matter [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005876
Comments: 110
Kudos: 165





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am not JK Rowling, and do not own Harry Potter. I make no money from the writing of this fan fiction

Kyle Stanton, of the law office Greengrass, Morton, and Stanton, was proud of his new home. It was on a quiet street in Little Whinging, Surrey called Privet Drive. He wouldn't ordinarily have chosen a home in this area, because it was populated for the most part by non magicals, but he thought he could find a small slice of peace and quiet here. Peace and quiet was important to Kyle Stanton, since he worked as a solicitor in the Wizarding world. But that was to be expected, as Kyle was a wizard himself.

He was carrying some boxes into his new home when he heard shouting from the house next door. Putting the box down just inside and closing the door, he walked carefully toward the sound of the shouting. Just as he was about to ring the doorbell, he glanced toward the window. What he saw through that window caused bile to rise in his throat.

A large man, obviously overweight, was shaking a small boy with black hair. After a few moments of shaking, the man threw the boy into a small cupboard under the stairs and locked the door.

"Upset little Dudley again, you freak! That's another week of no meals!" Kyle heard the man shout.

Kyle couldn't understand what the boy said in reply, but he did hear what the man shouted back.

"Your Aunt Petunia will be back from the market in an hour. You'll be let out then so you can make dinner. Any more whining, and you'll feel my belt!"

Knowing he needed to get the name of this man to make a report of what he saw, Kyle rang the doorbell. When the door opened, the overweight man's face was red. Plastering a smile on his face, Kyle held out his hand in greeting.

"Hello, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I just moved to the neighborhood and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Kyle Stanton. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but the garden looks lovely."

"I'll tell my wife you said so. I'm Vernon Dursley. New to the neighborhood, you say?"

"Yes, I needed peace and quiet away from work, so even though it will be a commute to London, I thought this area was perfect. I work as a solicitor."

The smile that crossed Vernon Dursley's face upon hearing that sickened Kyle. He'd met several people in the course of his work like this man. Social climber, always on the lookout for the 'right sort' of people to be friendly with, hoping to raise or better their own status. If it weren't for the sake of the boy he'd seen, Kyle wouldn't have bothered.

"A solicitor? That takes a lot of work, as well as determination to see it through."

"Yes, it does. But as I said, I just moved in, and need to get back to unloading everything. The moving company that rented me the vehicle wants it back before four, and it's already half two. Dirty, backbreaking work, but why pay moving men if you don't need to, right?"

"Quite right. No need to spend money when you don't need to."

"I was hoping to put in a garden in the next few days after I unpack. Your wife's garden, as I said, is lovely. Do you think she would like to give me some advice, possibly some help with that?"

"Oh, well Petunia planned the garden, but she doesn't like grubbing around on the ground. She had her nephew plant the garden, actually, after she told him where she wanted everything. I can mention you'd like some help with that when she comes home from the market."

"Thank you, Mr. Dursley. I'd best be going now. I have a lot of work to do, and my office can only spare me for today because of the move."

After Vernon closed the door, Kyle walked quickly to the vehicle that held his possessions. While the view from the street was obscured, he shrunk the rest of his things, placing them in another box, and carried it inside his new home. He decided to put off unpacking for a bit, and walked over to the newly installed Floo. He knew the names Vernon and Petunia Dursley from somewhere, and his assistant in the office would be able to help him find out why. There was also the matter of the small, black haired boy he'd seen Vernon shaking through the window.

"Greengrass, Morton, and Stanton, office of Kyle Stanton," he said into the flames.

"Yes, this is the office of Kyle…oh, Mr. Stanton, hello! What can I do for you, sir?" his assistant, Deborah Parker asked, recognizing him.

"Deborah, can you go through the files for me please? No further back than nine or ten years. I met one of my new neighbors today, and his name sounded familiar, as did the name of his wife. I need to know if this couple was involved or mentioned in anything to do with any of our clients. If you find anything, let me know immediately."

"Sure thing, Mr. Stanton. It might take a day or two, but I can look. What are the names of the couple?"

"Their names are Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. I saw Mr. Dursley shaking a small boy with black hair today through their window, and need to find out if I should call Aurors or the Muggle police."

"I'll begin looking right away, Mr. Stanton. I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Thank you, Deborah. I hope to be unpacked later today, so should be in the office tomorrow. I'd like whatever you can find as soon as I come in, if you haven't already contacted me."

"Yes sir. I'll see you tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

An hour after Kyle Stanton had unshrunk his possessions and gotten them arranged to his liking, the Floo chimed for an incoming call. Wiping the dust from his hands with a rag, he answered the call.

"Hello?"

  
"Mr. Stanton, I've found some of the information you were looking for, sir," his assistant Deborah Parker began, "but the information is very difficult to see, almost as if someone obscured it somehow."

  
"Were Vernon and Petunia Dursley clients? Possibly the clients of one of the other partners in the firm?"

  
"No sir, but their names did appear in one of the files of two clients of the firm. I'm not able to open the file because of whatever is obscuring it. I was only able to find the names because I was looking for those particular names, not a specific file."

  
"Who were the clients, Deborah?" he asked. He needed to know if this could wait until he could go to the office tomorrow, or if he needed to handle this immediately.

  
"Vernon and Petunia Dursley are mentioned in one of the client files for James and Lily Potter, sir. But I don't know what is in the file itself."

  
After three breaths of silence, Kyle replied.  
"Put on a pot of tea, Deborah. I'll be there momentarily."

  
He hoped he was wrong, as he quickly walked to the middle of his living room/lounge. If he wasn't, then the boy he'd seen being shaken was Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Time was of the essence.

  
Concentrating hard, he turned on the spot, and apparated with a near silent pop.

  
When he walked into his office, he immediately went to the file cabinet, pulling out the drawer for clients whose names began with the letters M-P. Extracting a thick file labeled 'Potter, James Charlus and Potter, Lily Janet (Evans)', he sat down at his desk. Opening it to the summary page, which listed everything that should be contained in the file, there was one line that looked blurred. Investments, accounts, properties, business interests, all of those were clearly listed. After thinking a moment, Kyle realized what he couldn't clearly see on the list…the Last Will and Testament of James and Lily Potter.

  
"Deborah, are you busy at the moment?" he called to his assistant.

  
"No, sir, I was just about to go for a late lunch."

  
"Please get me the parchments to request information from the Probate office in the Ministry. After you do that, you can go to lunch. I'll even give you a few galleons to compensate you for the delay."

  
"I'll just be a moment sir," she said, walking to her desk. Less than five minutes later, she passed Kyle the requested parchment, and as promised he handed her five galleons.

  
"The Probate office closes at five, sir, so you may want to make sure you get there in time."

  
"Thank you, Deborah, I'll keep that in mind," he replied, noticing it was almost four.

  
After his assistant left, it took Kyle approximately fifteen minutes to fill out the request form. Leaving his office, he apparated to the Ministry, and after checking in with the Welcome Witch, went to the Probate office.

  
"Good afternoon," he began, seeing the elderly looking wizard at the desk.

  
"Good afternoon, how can I help you?"

  
As answer, Kyle handed over the parchment.

  
"Request for an official copy of a Last Will, eh?"

  
"Yes, I'm the solicitor of record, and I want to make sure there are no discrepancies in our copy. I'm sure you understand. Some of the old families change their wills so often the self-updating spells can't keep up."

  
"Well, let me look and see if there was a copy filed with us. Some families don't, or they forget to do so, which puts off any heirs claiming his or her inheritance."

  
"I'll wait. This is fairly important. There may be a lost heir involved, so I need to make sure all my nifflers are in a row."

  
"Quite all right, young man, quite all right. Now, according to this, it would have been written in either late 1980 or early to mid 1981. That tells me approximately where it should be; I should be back shortly."

  
Kyle had just begun to pace in front of the desk for the fifth time when the elderly wizard came back. The old gentleman handed Kyle a thin folder with a red stamp on the front. His tone was regretful.

  
"I'm sorry, young man, but this is all I could locate."

  
Looking down at the folder, Kyle was able to read what the stamp said:

  
_"SEALED BY ORDER OF ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE_

_Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards"._

  
Looking over the rest of the folder, Kyle wasn't able to find an official stamp of the Minister of Magic, or the ICW. Which meant the will had been sealed illegally.

  
Kyle was beyond angry walking to the nearest Floo to leave. He couldn't shake the feeling that the magic used to seal the will had caused everyone who knew the will existed to either overlook it, or forget it existed entirely. And it might have worked indefinitely, had Kyle not recently met someone specifically mentioned in the will.

  
He'd already seen Vernon Dursley shaking a young boy. He needed to find a way to help him, and soon. And if that young boy was Harry Potter, the urgency was magnified.  
It was time to make a call to Gringotts, and speak with the account manager for the Potters.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Kyle Stanton returned to his office, he went to his Floo. Tossing in a pinch of Floo powder, he watched as the flames turned green. Putting his head in, he called out the destination of the call.

"Gringotts Bank, Office of the Potter Family Account Manager!"

A moment later, he was looking at a very unamused goblin.

"What is your name, and why do you need to speak with an Account Manager, wizard? I assume you are capable of coming into the bank in person."

"My name is Kyle Stanton, and I am a solicitor, Account Manager. I assume I am speaking with the Account Manager for the Potter Family?"

"I am Krogund, and I have been the Account Manager for the Potter family for the past four generations. Why do you need to speak to me? My time is valuable, and I do not usually see someone without an appointment."

"Well met, Krogund. My business is simple. I believe I have found discrepancies regarding the Last Will and Testament of James and Lily Potter and need to discuss them with you. Their heir, Harry Potter, may possibly be at risk. That possibility is so far a speculation of mine, and with your help, I may be able to either prove or disprove that possibility."

"And what discrepancies do you believe you have found?"

"The Potter will has been sealed by Albus Dumbledore. As there are no official seals from the Minister of Magic or the ICW, it is my belief the will has been sealed illegally. My office is the solicitor of record for the Potters. Regardless of the will being sealed, my office should be able to locate our copy in the file. It is obscured, both in the file summary, and the will itself. I saw a young boy being shaken today while moving into my new home. I want to make sure that the child is not Harry Potter before alerting muggle authorities."

"You may step through, Kyle Stanton. Please bring all relevant paperwork. Gringotts will assure confidentiality remains intact for everything that is not the Last Will and Testament. I will give you an hour of my time."

"Thank you, Account Manager Krogund."

Making sure the Potter file was in his hand, as well as the sealed file he had just received at the Ministry, Kyle stepped through the Floo into Krogund's office. Briefly bowing his head in respect, he approached the desk.

"I would see the sealed file first, Mr. Stanton. However, before we do that, I must verify you are who you say you are. Your wand, please."

Slowly, Kyle pulled his wand from his sleeve, reversed it, and held it toward the goblin handle first. Briefly passing a hand over the wand handle, Krogund nodded, and then tapped a small symbol on his desk. Shortly, a piece of parchment came through the desk. Scanning it, he looked again at Kyle.

"Very well, your identity has been verified. The sealed file for the Last Will, please."

After handing the sealed will to Krogund, Kyle watched closely. He didn't want to get on the wrong side of the Gringotts goblins. Krogund waved a hand over it, then took a small phial from his desk, and then placed five drops of the potion within the phial on the folder. Shortly, the folder was surrounded by a sickly yellow light. Krogund's eyes narrowed.

"You are correct, Mr. Stanton. The wills of James and Lily Potter were indeed sealed illegally. One moment while I summon the Gringotts copy."

Krogund tapped another symbol in a pattern; five, seven, three, nine. A moment later, a document came from his desk. A low growl sounded from his throat.

"The same magics that obscure your copy also obscure the Gringotts copy. Both have the same signature as the seal on the folder from the Ministry. Please wait while I contact my superiors."

Kyle nodded, and sat back to wait. Krogund wrote something on a piece of parchment, folded it, and put it on his desk, then tapped it twice. After the parchment disappeared, Kyle looked at him with a raised brow.

"Think of our communications system within Gringotts as similar to a Muggle FAX machine, Mr. Stanton."

"Ah. So you hope to have a response momentarily?"

"Yes. You seem to understand the reference."

"My mother was a Pureblood, and my father was a Muggleborn. He taught me about some of the Muggle world."

Before Krogund could reply, a parchment appeared on his desk. A slow, feral grin spread on his face as he read it.

"I have the authorization to break the enchantments obscuring the copies of the wills. It will not-yet-unseal the copy in the Ministry of Magic, but the enchantments on the documents interfere with the duties of those who were trusted with duties to look after the legal-meaning your office-and financial-meaning Gringotts-well-being of the Potter family. As it violates quite a few treaties, I am allowed to break the enchantments."

"Your assistance in this is noted and appreciated, Account Manager Krogund."

Krogund only opened a drawer in his desk and removed two phials, placing each on his desk to the side of the documents.

"One of these phials contains a potion which will break any enchantments not authorized by the authors of the documents, so the magic used by your office as well as Gringotts will remain intact. The second phial is a potion used to verify authenticity. This will ensure that these documents are, in fact, the Last Wills and Testaments of James and Lily Potter. As their solicitor of record, you should be able to read it so you are able to see to it their wishes as far as the guardianship of their heir, Harry Potter are carried out, as well as other bequests, is this not so?"

"Yes. The fact that the wills were bespelled to make my office overlook or even forget about the wills is appalling."

"Then let us first use the potion to remove the enchantment obscuring the documents. It should work in only a few minutes, and allow me to obtain the magical signature of the person or people responsible for the enchantments."

Opening the first phial, Krogund placed three drops of the potion on the corner of each of the documents. As it slowly soaked into the parchment, Kyle and Krogund watched intently. After a few minutes, the documents glowed silver, and when the glow faded, there were two copies each of the Last Will and Testament of James and Lily Potter sitting on the desk blotter. Before using the second potion, Krogund wrote something on a piece of parchment, and set it on his desk, tapping it twice. Just as it had before, the parchment disappeared.

"I informed my superiors of the magical signature used to set the enchantment to obscure the wills. Now we will verify the copies are authentic."

Opening the second phial, Krogund placed three drops of the potion on each of the documents. After a few moments, the potion soaked into the parchment, causing the documents to glow gold.

"The documents are authentic. Please take your copy of the documents, Mr. Stanton."

"Thank you, Account Manager Krogund. With your indulgence, I would like to briefly read over the wills before leaving. If there are any other discrepancies, I don't want to waste your time asking for another appointment for a meeting."

Krogund simply waved his hand toward Kyle, in the universal sign for 'if you must'. Honestly, if it weren't below the dignity of a goblin to roll his eyes, Krogund felt he would have already seen the back of his eyelids several times by now. After a few minutes, Kyle spoke.

"I knew the names Vernon and Petunia Dursley sounded familiar, but this explains why. Krogund, without breaking confidentiality, are you able to determine if there have been any withdrawals from the Potter account that weren't sent to the trust vault for Harry Potter over the last seven years, specifically since November of 1981?"

"Easily. You suspect a misappropriation?"

"Yes, unfortunately. How soon could you find out?"

"Not long at all. You wish to find out if these Dursleys were receiving funds from the Potter vault, am I correct?"

"That's exactly what I want to find out. If they have, they are at the least receiving stolen funds. And I suspect that the person or people responsible for the enchantments is or are responsible for the funds being sent. As such, Gringotts may have been fooled by this person, but are not at fault."

Krogund's only reply was to summon the Potter family account ledger and open it.


	4. Chapter 4

Krogund turned a few pages in the Potter account ledger, silently running a clawed finger down the list of entries. If Kyle had to make a guess based on body language, he would say that Krogund was becoming enraged. The longer he looked over the ledger, the slower and more precise his movements became. His posture stiffened, and his jaw clenched. Whatever he saw in the ledger was definitely not good news.

  
"There have definitely been withdrawals made from the Potter account, ostensibly for the care of the Potter heir, Harry James Potter. All from December of 1981, almost two months after James and Lily Potter were killed. I believe that you would like a copy of the withdrawals, and to whom they were sent?"

  
"If that is permitted, yes. It can only help me as I try to aid young Mr. Potter, if he is, indeed, in the care of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. I should be able to find that out in the next day or so. May I assume you would want that verification as well?"

  
"You assume correctly, Mr. Stanton. There is also a bit of information I can pass on to you based on your status as the Potters solicitor, since if I am reading the guardianship clauses correctly, would directly affect young Mr. Potter."

  
"What information is that, Krogund?"

  
"Every time someone who has an account with Gringotts is convicted of a crime and sent to prison, Gringotts is sent the information which would include arrest and booking number, trial transcripts, trial verdict, and prisoner number, along with the name of the prison if it is not Azkaban, so Gringotts may place the account in stasis-on hold or freezing the account in other words-until the account holder is released so no one else may access the funds contained in the account. In the guardianship clause of the Potter will, tell me, does your copy mention the name Sirius Black in any way?"

  
Quickly scanning the document to find the relevant section, Kyle carefully read through the clause, and noted the wishes made in the will. He looked up to meet Krogund's gaze.

  
"It says that Sirius Black, _oath bonded_ Godfather to Harry James Potter, was to take custody of Harry Potter in the event of the deaths of both James and Lily Potter. But Sirius Black has been in Azkaban for the last seven years, allegedly for betraying the Potters and killing twelve or thirteen Muggles. This doesn't make sense, and raises even more questions. Do you have the information you described about Sirius Black?"

  
"The only information Gringotts was provided was the date Mr. Black was incarcerated in Azkaban and his prisoner number. No other information was given. As such, the Black account is still active. Perhaps this could open an additional avenue to aid young Mr. Potter, should the child in question be verified as Harry James Potter?"

  
"It will take a bit more investigating, but it will help indeed, Krogund. My thanks."

  
"Then let me make you a copy of the withdrawal information for the Potter file before you leave."

  
"As he apparently never received a trial according to the information you have, I'm going to assume Sirius Black has no solicitor of record for this matter. Whether or not the Black family has a solicitor on retainer, I have no idea. I will however, find out and get back to you about that."

  
"And if there is no solicitor on retainer, you wish to be considered Mr. Black's solicitor?"

  
"Until I can travel to Azkaban and speak to Sirius Black myself to confirm, if there is no solicitor on retainer for the Black family, either myself, or someone in my office, will stand as his solicitor _pro tem_. It most likely would be someone from my office, to avoid conflict of interest, although we would be working together. I would like the information you described when I'm able to contact you regarding Sirius Black."

  
Krogund quickly made a copy of the withdrawal information and passed it to Kyle, who added it to the Potter file.

  
"May all your adversaries fall before you, Mr. Stanton," Krogund intoned, standing to signal the meeting was over.

  
"And may the gold from your enemies overflow your vaults, Krogund. I thank you for your time."

  
With a slight nod, Kyle left the Account Manager's office and quickly left Gringotts. Walking quickly to the Diagon Alley entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, he entered the small pub and Flooed to his office. He had a mountain of paperwork to do if his suspicions were correct, and the first thing on his list was thoroughly reading through the solicitor copy of the Potter wills.

  
It was going to be a long day.

  
It was late evening when Kyle returned home. He had gone through every paragraph of the wills, and compared them to the information Krogund had given him. Now, he stood at the window overlooking Privet Drive, trying to comprehend how and why someone would just blatantly disregard someone's Last Will and Testament. It still made no sense. Why send an innocent man to prison for murder? Magical Theory had never been one of his best subjects at Hogwarts, but even he knew that a Godparent Oath would make it impossible for someone to harm the child that he or she stood as Godparent for, at least not without losing his or her magic and dying. And that oath would have seen betraying the Potters to Voldemort so they could be murdered as harm. Yet Sirius Black was still alive.

  
Kyle was distracted from his thoughts by the shouts of several children outside. Focusing his attention on what was happening, he saw what appeared to be a rather overweight child and several others beginning to surround the black haired boy Kyle had seen being shaken. Quietly, Kyle slipped out the door and stood in the shadow of the doorframe, the better to overhear what was going on.

  
"Start running, Freak. Me and my friends will give you a count of five head start," the overweight boy said.

  
"Yeah, it's not a good hunt if the prey doesn't run," one of the other boys jeered.

  
_Hunt? What in the name of Merlin are those boys talking about?_ Kyle thought.

  
The black haired boy looked up, and even from the distance he was standing, Kyle could see he was trying to hold back tears.

  
"I don't want to do this, Dudley. Why do you always have to chase me and beat me up? I did everything Aunt Petunia told me to do."

  
"Because it's fun, that's why. Mummy and Daddy said I could go outside and play, and I want to play Harry Hunting. Now run, Freak."

  
Kyle, having heard enough, stepped away from the door just as the black haired boy began running. Making sure to step into his path, he briefly put his hand under the child's elbow to prevent him falling and whispered something into his ear as he steadied the child.

  
"My back door is slightly open, and leads into my kitchen. You can hide there if you want, and the door should automatically lock when you close it. I'll be there in a moment," he told the child, nodding toward his house.

The child briefly nodded his understanding, and began running again. Just to make certain the child had enough time to escape the boys, he deliberately bumped into them when they began to run after the child, causing the overweight one called Dudley to fall to the ground.

  
"So sorry, I didn't notice you were there. Trying to get to know my new neighborhood, you know."

  
Turning, Kyle walked back into his house, heading for the kitchen. As expected, he saw the young black haired boy there.

  
"I just moved into the neighborhood not long ago. My name is Kyle Stanton, what's yours?" he asked, doing his best not to frighten the child.

  
"Harry Potter, Mr. Stanton. Thank you."

  
"You're welcome, Harry. A group of larger kids picking on someone smaller than they are is always wrong. I was just trying to help."

  
"No one else tried to help. The other adults just ignored it."

  
"Well, that doesn't make it right. Have you had anything to eat? I was just about to have tea, and was wondering if you would join me."

  
"I won't be bothering you? If I stay for tea, I mean."

  
"Of course not, Harry. If I thought you would be bothering me, I wouldn't have asked you."

  
"I would like to stay then, Mr. Stanton. Thank you."

  
"You're welcome. And maybe you could help me understand about a few things I heard outside while we have tea, alright?"

  
"I can try to help."

  
Nodding in approval, Kyle put together the tea and a plate of sandwiches, as well as a tin of shortbread biscuits. Setting it down on the table, he poured the tea, and set a plate in front of Harry, taking a biscuit for himself.

  
"Help yourself, Harry. And we can talk a bit while we have tea."

He almost winced seeing the way Harry was hunched over the two sandwiches he'd put on his plate, as if he thought it would be taken from him. But he had found out that the boy he'd seen was Harry Potter. He sighed, knowing Krogund wouldn't be happy with this information.

  
"Okay, Mr. Stanton."

  
"First, what did that large boy you called Dudley mean when he said he wanted to play 'Harry Hunting'?"

  
"You won't believe me if I tried to tell you. The other adults I told didn't believe me."

  
"Harry, if you tell me nothing but the truth, I'll believe you. I promise. Can you promise to tell me only the truth while we have tea and talk?"

  
"I promise that I'll tell you only the truth while we talk having tea, Mr. Stanton."

  
"Then I have no reason to not believe you. So what did the boy you called Dudley mean?"

  
"Well, Dudley is my cousin. When Dudley gets bored, he gets a bunch of friends and they chase me everywhere. If they catch me, they beat me up something awful. So I have to run fast enough that they don't catch me. Dudley said it was a game for his friends, and all games have to be called something, so he called chasing me to beat me up Harry Hunting."

  
"You mentioned outside you had done everything your Aunt Petunia asked you to do. Who is your Aunt Petunia? And what did she ask you to do?"

  
"Aunt Petunia is Dudley's Mum. She's my Mum's sister. Aunt Petunia gave me a list of chores this morning to do today and I got everything done. Washing the dishes, making breakfast and lunch, mopping the kitchen, dusting the lounge, cleaning the bathrooms, and then after Aunt Petunia got home from her club, making dinner. I was outside weeding the garden when Dudley wanted to play Harry Hunting."

  
"And what chores did Dudley do? Because what you were asked to do sounds like a lot to ask from someone your age."

  
"Dudley doesn't do chores. Uncle Vernon says that's why he lets me stay there. I'm almost nine."

  
"I don't understand. Why doesn't Dudley have any chores?"

  
"Well, Uncle Vernon says that because he and Aunt Petunia let me stay there, because I cost so much that I have to do chores to earn my keep. If Dudley did any chores, then I wouldn't be earning my keep."

  
"Harry, do you know what 'earning your keep' means?"

  
"Oh, Aunt Petunia said that means that if I want to have clothes, food, and a place to sleep, that I have to work for them. So I do chores to earn that stuff."

  
Looking at what Harry was wearing, which looked to be too large for him, Kyle continued with his questions.

  
"So I guess you have a nice room and toys to play with when you finish your chores, right? The clothes you're wearing are for chores only? And why don't you stay with your parents?" Kyle asked, knowing the answer to his last question, but curious about what the boy had been told.

  
"I sleep in the cupboard under the stairs, Mr. Stanton. Only Dudley gets toys to play with, but he breaks them and says I did it so I get in trouble. I wear clothes like this all the time, not just for chores. They used to be Dudley's, but they don't fit him anymore. Buying clothes for me would cost too much. Aunt Petunia said that I have to stay with them because my mum and dad died in a car accident when I was a baby because my dad was a no good drunk and crashed the car. She said that's how I got this scar," Harry explained, lifting his bangs to show the distinctive, lightning bolt shaped scar.

  
_The final piece of the puzzle. Even if no one knows what he looks like now, everyone in the Wizarding world knows Harry Potter has that scar. There's no doubt now._ Kyle thought to himself.

  
"Three more questions and then you can ask me questions, or I'll just tell you about myself, okay Harry? And remember your promise; only the truth."

  
"Okay, Mr. Stanton."

  
"Go ahead and eat some more of those sandwiches if you're still hungry. I'll just put them in the icebox if we don't finish them during tea. Now why did you say you sleep in the cupboard under the stairs? Your aunt and uncle must have enough room to give you your own room in the house. This house has at least three bedrooms. And the second question is, do you get enough to eat? Because usually someone's clothes fit them a little better, and the ones you're wearing are too large for you, even if your cousin used to wear them first. And the last question is about punishments. I want you to tell me what kind of punishments both you and your cousin get and why."

  
"I promised to tell only the truth, so even though I was told never to talk about any of this stuff, I'll tell you so I don't break my promise. I sleep in the cupboard under the stairs because Dudley uses the other bedroom that he doesn't sleep in for all of his broken toys. It's Dudley's second bedroom. He has a bedroom to sleep in, and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia have a bedroom. So the only other place for a freak like me to sleep was in the cupboard under the stairs. I get to eat what is left after my aunt, uncle, and cousin are done eating, but usually Dudley gobbles all of it up. The nurse at school sent a letter home to Uncle Vernon once saying I didn't weigh enough, whatever that means, and Uncle Vernon got mad. She didn't stay the school nurse long after that. Dudley doesn't get punished, Mr. Stanton. Uncle Vernon says everything that goes wrong is my fault because I'm a freak. But when I get punished, it's usually Uncle Vernon that does it. I've gotten whipped with a belt, told I wasn't allowed to eat for a week, locked in my cupboard for a few days, Uncle Vernon shook me hard a couple of times, and when I was still learning how to cook, Aunt Petunia held my hand on the stove when I messed up making dinner once. I tried to tell other adults, like at my school, but no one ever believed me, just like Uncle Vernon said they wouldn't."

  
"I believe you, Harry, so it looks like your uncle was wrong, doesn't it? I work as a solicitor. What that means is, if someone needs legal stuff done, they hire me and I take care of the legal stuff for them. And unless I'm wrong, I might have even been your parents' solicitor before they died. I can check my records for their names to be sure. Now I moved here in the last few days, and so far it's a quiet neighborhood, but I work in London mostly. Sometimes, though. I'll be working here at home in my office. And I'll make you a promise. If I'm working at home, I'll leave the back door slightly open. If you need a place to hide because of your cousin chasing you, you can come in and close the door. Just call my name when you come in so I know you're here."

  
"Mr. Stanton, do you think I need someone to do legal stuff for me?"

  
"Well, I don't know how to answer that Harry. Your mum and dad died, so you're an orphan, but you stay with your aunt and uncle. Even though from what you told me your aunt and uncle shouldn't be the ones taking care of you. As a solicitor, I've sometimes helped people who want to take care of kids that needed a better home. And I've sometimes helped kids who needed to find better people to take care of them. Why do you ask?"

  
"Dunno. Maybe because I don't know if Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon lied when they said that mum and dad died without leaving anything to take care of me. If mum and dad did have some money, wouldn't that help so I wasn't a burden to my aunt and uncle? Because I would maybe get that money?"

  
"Hmmm. That's an interesting idea. I'll tell you what. I need to wash the dishes from tea and dust a few things that I unpacked from moving today. If you help me with that, wiping dishes dry after I wash them, and handing me things to put away after they're dusted, I'll pay you two pounds sterling. After that, you hand me the two pounds sterling, and I'll take that as my fee for being your solicitor. Is it a deal?"

  
"And you would be able to find that stuff out for me?"

  
"I certainly could. It would be part of my job."

  
"Deal!" Harry said, smiling for the first time Kyle had seen since he walked in the kitchen.

  
True to his word, Kyle paid Harry the money he'd promised for helping out, and Harry promptly handed it back, "hiring" Kyle as his solicitor. Reluctantly, Kyle sent Harry back to his relatives' house, wishing he was able to do more. Unfortunately, a lot more work needed to be done before that could happen. But the first hurdle-gaining Harry's trust and establishing his identity-had been passed.

  
Now he only needed to inform Krogund of what he'd found out.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Albus Dumbledore could barely summon a twinkle to his eye as he read the latest report from Arabella Figg, whom he had convinced to move near the home of Harry Potter's relatives. He sighed, and read the report again.

_They really don't care about the boy Albus. I see him all the time outside doing the most awkward things for chores. He's only a little boy, and so far this summer they've made him cut their grass, tend to the garden-and not once have I noticed he had gloves to protect his hands-and painting the shutters around the windows of the house. Every time he asks for water to drink while doing it, that woman screeches at him that water is too expensive to waste on him, and to finish whatever he's doing quickly. And he really is too small for his age; the clothes they give him to wear just hang on him._

Folding the report, he wrote a quick reply to Mrs. Figg, thanking her for the information. He was sure she was simply misunderstanding the situation. Petunia would care for the boy, surely. He was her sister's son, after all. That made him Petunia's family, and family always looked after family. Thanks to the blood wards, he was also better protected there than anywhere else. It was imperative he stay with Petunia and her family. Arabella was imagining things as usual. Harry would be just fine; a little hardship built character for many. He refolded the report and slipped it into a folder containing other, similar reports. No, Harry Potter had to stay where he was, at all cost.

It was for the Greater Good, after all.

Kyle walked into his office, and went to his assistant's desk. He had quite a to do list in order to help Harry Potter, so he needed to get started.

"Deborah, can you see if Brian Greengrass is available? I need to speak with him if possible."

"I can find out for you. Did you want him to come here, you go to his office, or speak by Floo?"

"I'd prefer he come here, Deborah. It's best I have the files at hand when we talk."

"Yes, Mr. Stanton," she replied, as Kyle walked into the inner office to his desk.

A short time later, the senior partner of the firm, Brian Greengrass, stepped into his office. The look on his face was one of mild curiosity.

"Deborah told me you needed to speak to me, Kyle? Is it to do with something for a client?"

"Yes and no. I'd better begin with the day I moved to my new house. The neighbor next door, which I saw through the window in response to his shouting, was shaking a child, so I knocked on the door to distract him by introducing myself," he paused, gathering his thoughts, and then continued when Brian nodded.

"When the man introduced himself, the names of himself and his wife sounded familiar, so I asked Deborah to see if they had been involved in, or had been a client for any of our cases. There was only one mention of their names; in the client file for James and Lily Potter, specifically their Last Wills and Testaments. I was able to have the wills unobscured at Gringotts, as the Ministry copy had been sealed by Albus Dumbledore-and mind you, the folder for the sealed will at the Ministry was _lacking_ the official seals of the Minister, or the Wizengamot. There wasn't even an official seal from the ICW on the folder, which is why I went to Gringotts, as they should also have a copy. The Potter Account Manager was able to remove the obscurity spell, and we both skimmed through our copies. I was going under the _assumption_ the child I'd seen _might_ be the lost Potter heir, so I concentrated on the guardianship clauses of the wills. In the event of their deaths, James and Lily Potter stated their son was to be placed with their son's _oath-bound_ Godfather, Sirius Black. As Sirius Black is directly mentioned by the Potter wills, Gringotts was able to tell me that the only information they have ever received about Sirius Black as it relates to this situation, is the date he was incarcerated in Azkaban, and his prisoner number. His personal accounts remain _active_."

"That doesn't add up at all. They should have also been provided with a transcript of the trial so they could freeze his account until his release. Are you thinking Black never had a trial at all?" Brian asked, intrigued.

"That's exactly what I'm thinking. I need to concentrate on representing the Potter heir-and I was able to confirm the child I saw is named Harry Potter-so it might create a conflict of interest if I attempted to look into the circumstances surrounding Sirius Black and his incarceration. Could you-," he began, and was cut off.

"I'll look into the Black situation. As Arcturus is still living, he's Head of House Black, so I'll approach him initially about this. If he has a copy of the trial transcript, fine, and I'll ask for permission to copy it as it relates to a client of ours for another case. If he doesn't, I'll offer to represent Sirius in order to get him his trial, and hopefully Arcturus will put us on retainer for the case. I can't see any Head of House being willing to allow an Heir to remain incarcerated in prison if it isn't deserved."

"Thank you Brian, I appreciate this. There is still one question that is bothering me about all of this."

"What question is that?"

"How does Albus Dumbledore fit into all of this, and does he have a motive? He was the one that sealed the wills, and as Chief Warlock, he should have pushed to allow Sirius Black his day in court, yet to all appearances, Black was simply tossed in a cell and forgotten."

"Interesting question and certainly something to keep in mind during investigation for these cases. I can write Arcturus and ask for a time to meet, so we can get that part started. Were there any other concerns?"

"Those were the most immediate. Thank you, Brian."

With a nod of acknowledgement, the senior partner left Kyle's office. During the next few hours, Kyle dealt with paperwork for other cases, hoping to get everything to a point that spending several days on gathering information to help Harry wouldn't jeopardize anything he was doing for someone else. Harry was important, yes, but the people who came to the firm for help deserved to know they were being well represented. It was almost four when an inter-office memo landed on his desk.

_Appointment to speak with Arcturus Black scheduled for tomorrow._

_I hope you know what you're doing._

_Brian Greengrass_

Reading the short message, Kyle mentally ticked off another item from his to do list. He wished Brian luck in dealing with Arcturus; based on reputation alone, he was set in his ways and uncompromising when family was involved.

Harry Potter sighed, and surreptitiously tried to stretch his arms and shoulders while washing the few dishes he'd needed to use while preparing dinner. Uncle Vernon hadn't been at all pleased when he'd disappeared for a few hours the other day. And of course, Dudley had made sure to throw a tantrum because he 'didn't get to play his favorite game', so he was in trouble for not letting Dudley beat him up as well. Uncle Vernon had been angry enough to throw Harry backward after shaking him, hard enough that his back had slammed into the small door frame surrounding the cupboard where he slept. Now his back and arms both were sore, making it hard to move easily.

He hoped Mr. Stanton could help him the way he'd said he helped other kids. He didn't like being blamed for everything, whether or not it was his fault. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair.

But at least now there was an adult who said that they believed him, so maybe, just for a little while, it would be okay to hope it was going to stop soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Sirius Black sat staring at the wall of his cell in Azkaban Prison. His mind was focused on two things: the fact he was innocent, and his godson Harry. It was those two things that helped keep him sane in this thin slice of Hell. He assumed it was only the fact those thoughts were more an obsession than happy or cheerful that the Dementors in this place hadn't stolen them from him yet. He did his best to keep track of how long he'd been there, but it wasn't always easy. The days blended together too well to really keep track. He shook his head slightly to stave off a bout of tears and focused instead on Harry. His godson by oath, and the son of one of his best friends in the world. How old would he be now? Seven? Eight? Without someone to tell him what year it was, he only had vague guesses.

_I keep hoping someone will come tell me I'm going to finally have a trial. At least then I would know why I'm in this Merlin-damned hellhole. But no one ever told me anything; they just loaded me in a boat and brought me here_ , he thought, still trying to hold on to those thoughts that he knew to be true.

Sirius had no way of knowing that at that very moment, someone miles away was trying to do everything possible to allow him to leave Azkaban for good.

Brian Greengrass of Greengrass, Morton, and Stanton, looked carefully around the room he'd been shown into moments before by a house elf. It looked to be a small, well-appointed study, with shelves of books off to the side and a large mahogany desk near the window. It was at the desk that he saw the current Head of House Black, Lord Arcturus Black. He briefly inclined his head in a gesture of respect.

"Lord Black, thank you for taking the time to see me, my name is Brian Greengrass."

"You said in your letter that you had something of importance to discuss with me, Mr. Greengrass. What is this matter of importance that you would travel here from London to speak to me about?"

"As I said in my letter, sir, it's a matter regarding your grandson, Sirius Black."

"Sirius is in Azkaban. Has been ever since 1981. Why would you want to discuss him?"

"Lord Black, it came to the attention of one of my partners while working on another case that there may be some-irregularities-regarding your grandson's incarceration. What I would like to do, with your permission, is look over the copy of the transcript for your grandson's trial, and make sure that everything is in order."

"I'm sorry, but that's impossible."

"My apologies, Lord Black, but are you saying it's impossible because you won't give permission for me to read the transcript?" Brian asked, confused.

"No, Mr. Greengrass, I'm saying it's impossible because I was never given a copy of the trial transcript. I can't give you permission to read what I don't have."

"And you didn't find that unusual, sir? Ordinarily the Head of a family is given such documentation in the event the Head wishes to change things in regard to the estate, such as bequests in a will or property transfers."

"I was put off every time I asked about it, Mr. Greengrass. And yes, I found it unusual. The Wizengamot was quick enough to send me the transcript when they tried and convicted one of my cousins, Bellatrix Lestrange. Sirius is my Heir, so of course it's unusual I don't have the transcript for the trial. I was only notified he'd been taken to Azkaban and what his prisoner number was, nothing else. So why don't you tell me why you're asking about my grandson after all this time that he's been in prison?"

"Lord Black, are you familiar with the name Harry Potter?"

"I'm old, Mr. Greengrass, but I'm not senile yet. Of course I'm familiar with the name. The boy is Sirius' godson, as well as a designated Heir for Sirius until and unless he has a son of his own. Why do you ask?"

"The irregularities my partner became aware of are related to Harry Potter, sir. Apparently your grandson Sirius was supposed to have custody of Harry Potter should anything happen to James and Lily Potter. Sirius was incarcerated within days of the deaths of James and Lily Potter."

"That's absurd, Mr. Greengrass. Having heard my share of trials as part of the Wizengamot, I know it takes at least a few weeks to bring a trial before the Wizengamot. The only way Sirius could have been sent to Azkaban within days is…"Arcturus trailed off, a look of fury coming over his face.

"Lord Black? Are you alright, sir?"

"You're saying that it's likely my grandson was incarcerated without trial, aren't you?"

"That is, unfortunately, what my firm believes, sir. We have found no record of the trial, or even an arrest and interrogation regarding Sirius Black."

"What would you say your record as a solicitor is like, Mr. Greengrass? Are you the kind that would offer a deal to the opposing side to shorten the trial, or are you the kind that would go for the jugular to avenge a wrong done to an Heir of an Ancient and Noble House? Think carefully before you answer, because if I don't feel you're right for the job, I'll be contacting a firm I know of that handled my late wife's affairs, and I can't stand any of those pompous windbags."

"Lord Black, chances are good that one of two people would be prosecuting the case against Sirius; Amelia Bones or the Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold. If I were going to wager between the two, I would put my money on the prosecutor being Madam Bones. She's tough enough when prosecuting that she's been compared to a barracuda. However, where Madam Bones is a barracuda, I'm more of a shark."

"And one of the only two creatures capable of taking down a barracuda is a shark, the other being a killer whale," Arcturus mused, eyes narrowed in thought.

Brian simply nodded, waiting.

"I expect the contract for your services to be delivered within the next few days, Mr. Greengrass, including the receipt for the retainer. As of now, I want you to consider my grandson your client. I'm giving you _carte blanche_ to do anything you legally have to do to bring my grandson home, and if I think you're vicious enough, I may extend your services to helping me not only sue every person responsible for Sirius being put in prison illegally for every Galleon they ever earned, but returning the favor by putting them _under_ Azkaban. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, Lord Black. I'll get started as soon as I return to the office."

"And I'll have the retainer deposited in you firm's vault before the end of the day. As I expect this won't happen overnight, I would appreciate a weekly progress report."

"As you wish, Lord Black. Good day, sir."

"Good day, Mr. Greengrass."

With another respectful nod, Brian left the study, and was met at the doorway by a house elf and escorted to the Floo. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and mentally began a list of things he would need to do if he was going to help Sirius Black regain his freedom.

Once back in the suite of offices used by his firm, Brian went to Kyle's office. He was still a bit shell shocked by how his meeting with Lord Black had gone, but knew Kyle would need to know the outcome. He knocked lightly on the doorframe to get his attention.

"Well?" Kyle asked, knowing he wouldn't need to say more.

"I need to have my assistant put together a contract for services, and then ask someone in accounting to write a receipt for Lord Black. Whoever does it will need to look at the summary for the firm's vault to find the amount, however. Lord Black didn't say how much he was transferring as a retainer for services. After that, I need to go to Azkaban to confer with our new client."

"So not even Lord Black was given a trial transcript for Sirius Black. Sometimes the sheer stupidity and short sightedness of some people who are in positions of power actually frighten me. You would think the person-or people-responsible would stop to think, and figure out someone would realize something was wrong when no one could remember reading anything in the Daily Prophet detailing the trial and start asking questions. Anyone with half a brain would at least have made a _mockup_ of a transcript."

"Anyone with half a brain would have made sure that Sirius Black was given a trial in the first place; then a mockup of the transcript isn't needed."

"True. So are you going to visit Azkaban this afternoon or tomorrow?"

"More than likely tomorrow. First depositions take time, and I want to be certain that there are no potential holes in the case, so I'll take today for all of the tedious paperwork and other minutiae involved. Lord Black has given me _carte blanche_ to do anything I need to legally do in regard to Sirius Black."

"Really? Now _that_ would set a niffler among the treasure."

"Yes it does. He also told me something that relates to your young client, Harry Potter."

"Oh?"

"According to Lord Black, Harry Potter is the designated Heir for Sirius Black until and unless Sirius has a son of his own."

"Oh, sweet Merlin," Kyle breathed, a look of shocked comprehension crossing his face.

"What? What do you think is going on?"

"We were trying to figure out what Albus Dumbledore had to do with all of this. The sealed wills, Sirius Black being in Azkaban, Harry Potter living with –frankly abusive-relatives who don't give a damn if he lives or dies as long as he does all of the work they assign him, plus the fact he's Headmaster of the school Harry will likely be attending in a few years. If Dumbledore sets himself up as Harry's 'rescuer' from his relatives in giving him a place in Hogwarts as a student, then chances are high Harry would hero-worship the man, believing anything Dumbledore told him."

"Which would effectively allow Dumbledore to control Harry and how he thinks of the Wizarding world," Brian said, following Kyle's train of thought.

"With Harry Potter not only Heir-and later Head-of the Potter family, with access to their vaults and other assets, he's also the designated Heir Presumptive to the Black family, meaning in time he would have access to, and eventually control of, those funds and assets if Sirius has no Heir of his own. So whoever can find a way to control Harry Potter…"

"Will also have a way to control the Potter and Black fortunes, assets, and their votes on the Wizengamot."

"Exactly. The Chief Warlock sits on the Wizengamot, but has no vote unless there's a tie of some kind on an issue or trial. And if there is no designated guardian able to fill the role, he is also _de facto_ guardian for orphaned magical children until they come of age. Which tells me I also need to request a hearing to have a guardian _ad litem_ appointed for Harry Potter, and soon."

Kyle had only been home for a half hour when he vaguely registered hearing the back door close and lock. In order to keep his promise to Harry, he made sure to leave the door slightly ajar so he could come in if needed. As he got up to greet him, he heard Harry saying his name, but his voice sounded faint, not strong like a child trying to get an adult's attention would use. He hadn't taken more than a few steps when he heard a soft thud coming from the kitchen. Now more than a bit concerned, Kyle hurried toward the sound. He stopped and stared in horror for a moment before instinct and training came into play, and he grabbed a small pouch from under the sink before crossing the floor to the source of the sound.

Harry lay on the kitchen floor, his face covered in a mix of blood from what looked to be a split lip and possibly broken nose, and bruises, mainly around his eyes and cheeks. Being careful not to jostle him, Kyle cleaned away the blood and checked for other injuries. Although he wasn't able to find any additional injuries, that didn't mean they weren't there. Briefly stepping out of the kitchen, Kyle conjured his Patronus, a fierce cheetah.

"Go to Brian Greengrass. Tell him I need both him and his wife here immediately. Our young client has been injured and the injuries look severe. The Floo will be opened, and the client is in the kitchen, lying on the floor."

Returning to Harry, Kyle picked up his hand; he tried to let Harry know he was there, that he wasn't alone. A moment later, his Floo activated, and soon after that Brian and his wife were in the kitchen. Kyle soon found himself pushed to the side as Brian's wife Amy knelt at Harry's side, wand already scanning for any injuries, whether or not they were visible.

"Kyle?" Amy Greengrass spoke, her voice low.

"Yes, Amy?"

"If it is at all possible, I want to be there _when_ , not _if_ , whoever did this to this child is brought to trial. And make sure that by the time you're finished with them, a Dementor's Kiss would seem like a _mercy_ sentence. So far I've found a broken nose, cracked cheekbone, bloody lip, spiral fracture in his upper arm on both arms, and a bruised spleen. Why haven't you taken him to hospital yet?"

"Because his so called guardians live next door and they're muggles. I doubt they would allow him to be treated, since that would bring what they've done to the attention of the authorities."

"That's going to change soon, right? Because this child is magical. The last thing a magical child needs-" she stopped speaking abruptly, finally seeing the tell-tale scar-" _sweet merciful Circe and Nimue! Harry Potter_!"

"I already know who he is, Amy. And yes, I'll do everything in my power to make sure his relatives no longer have the care of him. You have my word on that."

The slow smile that graced the face of Amy Greengrass after hearing that was chilling.


	7. Chapter 7

Amy Greengrass continued scanning the child on the floor of the kitchen. The fact the child in question was Harry Potter was immaterial at the moment; her only concern was gaining a thorough list of any injuries the child had suffered. She set a piece of parchment with a Dicta-Quill to record her findings, and began the scan again. She thought it was fortunate the scan was taking all of her concentration. She might be tempted to visit the people who did this for a bit of retribution. She briefly looked up when she noticed her husband watching her. She met his raised eyebrow with a gimlet eyed stare of her own. Knowing his wife in a temper could be vicious enough to make Bellatrix Lestrange take a step back and reconsider, Brian tried to appeal to her reason and intellect.

"Now Amy love, if I allowed you to eviscerate the people who did this, it could ruin Kyle's case and he wouldn't be able to make the person who likely placed him with those people pay for it. So please, keep your temper for just a little while longer."

Amy snorted, and began making even more notes, the set of her back and shoulders betraying just how enraged she was.

"It's not fair that my oaths as a Healer won't allow me to deal with the animals that did this the way I want to. I assume that there's a reason you wouldn't want him taken to St. Mungo's, Kyle?"

"Unfortunately yes, Amy. It might tip off the person I believe is responsible for placing him with those people, and I want to arrange for at least a hearing to name a new guardian before that happens. And before you ask, when I bring that person to trial, I hope to have enough evidence against the person to build a dam in the Thames," Kyle answered her.

"Fine. There's a small clinic near where Brian and I live that I volunteer time in. We can take him there, and treat him as a 'John Doe Child' patient. But I want him moved to that clinic as soon as I finish here. He not only has physical injuries, there's something very wrong with his magic. I need access to the clinic to find out what that is if St Mungo's isn't an option."

"How long do you think he would be at the clinic? Based on what he's told me so far, it wouldn't be long before those people he lives with notice he's not there; namely when their dinner is late to the table," Kyle asked.

"I can't give an accurate estimate until I can do a more thorough examination that includes his magic. Their dinner? As in they expect him to cook for them? Merlin's beard, he can't be more than seven or so based on his size. That's much too young for that kind of responsibility unless supervised."

"Already made dinner for them. Messed up making dessert. Dudley's favorite, so he got mad," the small voice of Harry stated. He was already falling asleep from the way his eyes kept closing and opening slowly.

"Harry? Harry, I need you to stay awake for me. Can you tell me what happened?" Kyle questioned rapidly.

"Messed up dessert. Dudley got mad, so he started hitting me. Said I ruin everything. Got away from him after he hit my cheek. Tried to open the back door and Uncle Vernon grabbed me. Hit me in th' face a couple times, pulled my arms behind me, shook me a couple times. Shoved me in m' cupboard, but f'rgot to lock th' door. Heard 'im tell Dudley an' Aunt Petunia going out f'r dessert, since I'm a freak who don't know how t'do anything right. Came here when they left. Sorry I messed up your floor, Mr. Stanton."

"I don't want you to worry about my floor, Harry. The floor can be cleaned up. What was your aunt doing when this was happening? Didn't she try to stop it at all?"

"Aunt Petunia never stops Uncle Vernon and Dudley. Says a freak like me doesn't deserve help."

"Harry, my name is Brian Greengrass, and I work with Mr. Stanton. I'm sorry, but did you say you were shoved into your _cupboard_? What do you mean your _cupboard_?"

"It's where I sleep, Mr. Greengrass. Always slept in the cupboard under the stairs," Harry continued, his voice finally losing the slight slur.

"He told me the other bedroom in his aunt and uncle's house-the one that anywhere else he would have used-was given to his cousin Dudley as a 'second bedroom' for the toys that Dudley breaks," Kyle explained.

"Mr. Stanton? Mr. Greengrass? Am I going to get to see a doctor? And can you fix it so that I wouldn't have to go back to my aunt and uncle's house?" Harry asked, hopefully.

"Well, Harry, we need to make sure there's a responsible adult who can take good care of you before we can make sure of that," Kyle began, "and since you told me your parents are not living, unless you have a person like a grandparent, older brother or sister that's an adult, or even a godparent…"and Kyle trailed off, struck by what he'd said.

"Kyle? What is it?" Amy asked.

"Brian, correct me if I'm wrong, but when someone makes a godparent oath, doesn't that include taking the godchild into your family as if the child is a full member of the family?" Kyle asked, speculation on his face.

"Usually, yes. For example, if I were to be godfather to the child of my best friend, that godchild would be seen-and treated by other members of the family-as a child of mine. So my parents would be considered my godchild's grandparents under that oath, with all of the rights and responsibilities of any other member of the family."

"Including the right of sanctuary?" Kyle asked pointedly.

"Of course, but why would you…are you thinking of Arcturus?"

"Absolutely. When was the last time you heard of someone being able to get into his house if he didn't want them there?"

"Never. Anyone who enters-including family-does so only with permission and prior invitation or appointment."

"So there is an option. I suggest you send an urgent owl to Lord Black while Harry is being treated. Any further care if needed, should Arcturus be agreeable, a Healer can be hired to come to the estate to administer."

"Then send the owl from the clinic Brian, because I want to move Harry there now," Amy said, growing impatient.

Nodding agreement, the two men helped Harry to lie down on a blanket, then, once Amy had wrapped the blanket and lifted him, making sure his view was obscured, they all apparated to the clinic with Harry.

Lord Arcturus Black III, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, read the letter that had just been delivered by owl for a second time. He was having a difficult time comprehending how or why what was being described in the letter had happened.

_To Lord Arcturus Black, Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, Greetings:_

_Dear Sir,_

_I am writing you in regard to Harry Potter. As you are already aware, your grandson Sirius Black is the boy's oath sworn Godfather. This by extension, also makes Mr. Potter a member of the Black Family by oath. I am writing you now to ask sanctuary for Harry Potter. My partner in my firm, Kyle Stanton, is the boy's solicitor, and Harry was somehow able to come to Mr. Stanton's residence after being severely beaten and abused by his maternal aunt and her husband before collapsing. My wife Amy and I were visiting Mr. Stanton when this occurred, and my wife, who is a Healer, was able to stabilize him enough to bring him to the Manchester Clinic to be treated._

_My wife feels, as do I, that to return young Mr. Potter to his Aunt's home would not be in his best interest. Based on what the boy has told us, his aunt and her family treat him worse than a house elf, quite literally making him sleep in a boot cupboard under their stairs._

_I await your decision on this request._

_Regards,_

_Brian Gerald Greengrass_

_Greengrass, Morton, and Stanton_

Two minutes after finishing the letter for the second time, Arcturus wrote a short reply and sent it to Brian Greengrass.

Harry was halfway through his treatment when an owl arrived with a letter for Brian. After taking the letter, the owl flew off, so a reply wasn't expected. Taking a calming breath, Brian opened the letter.

_To Brian Gerald Greengrass, Greetings:_

_Mr. Greengrass, Harry Potter is granted sanctuary within the House of Black at my estate. This letter will allow passage through the wards for Mr. Potter, his solicitor, yourself, and your wife as she is a Healer. I expect young Mr. Potter's arrival after he has been treated, as well as any instructions for his care due to the cause of his requiring treatment. Unless he has any possessions of a sentimental value he wishes to bring with him, I will see to his complete outfitting myself._

_Regards,_

_Lord Arcturus Black III_

_Head of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black_

"We're past the first hurdle," Brian said, passing the letter to Kyle.

After taking a moment to read the letter, Kyle looked at Harry and smiled.

"Well Harry, it looks as though you don't have to go back to your aunt's house after you're finished here. Someone related to the person your parents were friends with and named a godparent for you has offered to take you in and take care of you."

"Really? I never have to go back to my aunt and uncle's house again? You promise?" Harry babbled, a hopeful expression on his face.

"You never have to go back there again. Promise."

"Good! They never treated me nice, no matter how good I was. It _never_ felt like my home, and I don't ever want to go back."

Several miles away, wards that had surrounded a small house in Little Whinging, Surrey, fell, and one particular ornament on the desk of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, melted.


	8. Chapter 8

His examination and treatment finished, Harry was helped to get dressed by Amy Greengrass before he left the Manchester Clinic to go to his new home. His new home. It would seem so ordinary to someone else thinking that, but to Harry Potter, the phrase filled him with hope. He didn't think this 'Lord Black' person would make him get up before dawn to do chores or cook. He expected there to be rules to follow, every boy his age expected that, but Mr. Stanton had promised him that Lord Black would probably only give him a couple of light swats to his backside for punishment, and then only if he really messed up. Mr. Stanton also told him Lord Black would probably explain his rules when Harry arrived. Harry could understand that, and he would do his best to not break any of the rules, because even at his aunt and uncle's house, he tried to be good.

"Are you ready, Harry?" Amy asked him, seeing how hopeful he looked.

"I think so, Mrs. Greengrass. Will it take long to get there?"

"I don't think so. Maybe an hour or two. Why do you ask?"

"Well, ma'am, I was hoping we had time to get something to eat first. I'm hungry."

"What about a small snack? To hold you over until we get to Lord Black's house, because he'll probably want you to have dinner with him, and we don't want to spoil your appetite now, do we?"

"Okay! What kind of snack? Aunt Petunia always gave Dudley cookies and candy when he wants a snack."

"I was thinking you might like a couple of pieces of fruit. Maybe some grapes or even an apple or two? I'm sure that either Kyle or Bryan could even find some juice to go with it, so you don't get thirsty. Would you like that?"

After thinking about it a moment, Harry grinned.

"Okay! That sounds good."

Amy chuckled, and grabbed a couple of apples and a bunch of grapes from the bowl in the break room of the clinic, then also taking a juice box from the icebox. After putting the fruit and juice box in a small bag to make it easy for Harry to manage to carry, they walked to the waiting area where Kyle and Brian were sitting.

"Harry is ready to go to his new home, then?" Brian asked, seeing them walk into the waiting room.

"He'll need to have a regimen of medicines for a week or two and take it easy and rest for a few days, but yes. I have the instructions Lord Black requested here, as well as the list of prescriptions for his medicines. The Healer that also examined Harry made sure to include some 'first dose' bottles of his medicines to give Lord Black time to get Harry's medicine prescriptions taken care of at the apothecary."

"Mrs. Greengrass?" Harry asked, confused.

"Yes, Harry, what is it?"

"What's 'apothecary' mean?"

"An 'apothecary', Harry, is similar to a pharmacy, except instead of the medicines being brought to the building by a company, the way it is at a pharmacy, an apothecary is able to make the medicines people need right there in the building, or even sell them the ingredients to make their medicines themselves if the person who took care of them says they're allowed to make them. Understand?"

"Like when Aunt Petunia goes to the market and gets different loose teas because she likes to mix them up to taste the way she likes?"

"Very like that, yes. Some things that are wrong with people need special medicines to make better, and pharmacies don't usually know how to make them or where to go to have them brought to the pharmacy, so people use an apothecary for those medicines."

"Okay."

"Then let's get you to your new home, alright? I think Mr. Greengrass knows how to get there, so we'll just go with him. You can eat your snack on the way."

As the small group left the clinic, Harry's eyes widened. There was a horse and carriage in front of them! Smiling widely, he rushed over to start stroking the animal along its neck before patting it on the nose.

"Nice way to get around trying to explain apparition, Brian," Kyle said quietly.

"The child is already injured and likely ill from the aunt and uncle not allowing him to eat. No reason to make it worse by apparating with him. Plus, it's a novelty that he'll enjoy."

"Very true. And as soon as I reach the office tomorrow, I'll be contacting the muggle authorities about his aunt and uncle. At the very least they should be charged with child neglect, if not outright abuse depending on what evidence the authorities are able to find. And I will consider it my honor and privilege to turn those animals in for what they did to Harry," Kyle snarled quietly in an attempt to keep Harry from overhearing.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I asked for three copies of the report the clinic made about Harry's condition, isn't it? A copy for Lord Black, a copy for your records in the office, Kyle, and a copy for whatever authorities deal with those people," Amy quipped with a feral grin.

"Amy?"

"Yes, Kyle?"

"Remind me to _never_ make you angry with me."

After arriving at Lord Black's estate, the small group stood in front of a large, wrought iron gate. Seeing Harry was becoming nervous, Kyle looked over at him and smiled.

"It's okay, Harry. Lord Black has this big gate to make sure that nobody that lives here can get hurt. There are some animals around here that can hurt someone if they get scared, and the gate keeps them out."

"Oh. Okay, Mr. Stanton."

With a chuckle, Brian pushed open the gate and they walked toward the house. Harry was looking around, eyes wide. This house was huge! How would he have time to finish any chores Lord Black gave him if there was so much to clean? Before they reached the door, Brian stopped a moment.

"Harry, have you ever heard of Father Christmas?"

"Yes, but Aunt Petunia said that only Dudley was good enough to get presents from him."

"So you know Father Christmas has elves that help him make the presents, right?"

"Yes. Why? Does Father Christmas live near here?"

"No, he doesn't, but his elves have some cousins that like to help people who can see them with their chores and things. One of the people the cousins of the elves that help Father Christmas helps that way is Lord Black. So if you see one of them, don't be scared, okay? They're just helping."

"Okay, Mr. Greengrass," Harry said, looking a little confused. Nobody had ever helped him with chores before.

They finished walking to the door, and Brian lifted a large door knocker and knocked on the door twice. A few moments later, the door opened, and Harry saw something about his size, maybe a little smaller, with huge eyes and floppy ears. It was wearing something that looked like the kind of towel Aunt Petunia said was a 'tea towel'. He remembered she would get angry when he would wipe dishes dry with one.

"I's be Jilly. Please to come in, Master is expecting you."

"Thank you, Jilly," Brian said, removing his hat and light coat, and handing it to the little creature.

Jilly quickly snapped her fingers and the coat and hat hung themselves up on the coat rack at the end of the entry way.

"Please to follow Jilly, Master not liking to be kept waiting."

Following Jilly, they were led into a dining room. The table had been set for five, two places on either side of the table, and a single place at the end. Harry saw an elderly man sitting in the single chair on the end of the table.

"Lord Arcturus Black III, Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, may I present Mr. Harry James Potter, scion and Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, my partner in the firm, Mr. Kyle Stanton, and my wife, Healer Amy Greengrass," Brian said, formally bowing.

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintances," Lord Black replied, "please, join me for dinner. I hope you'll forgive me not rising when you entered, Healer Greengrass, however, at my age standing quickly is not always possible."

"Sir?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, what is it?"

"What would you like for me to call you while I stay here, sir?"

"For now, either 'sir' or 'Lord Black' will be fine, Mr. Potter. That might change after we have had time to get to know one another."

"Yes sir. Thank you for taking me in. I'll do my best to be good."

"And your best is all anyone can ask you to do, Mr. Potter. Always remember that. If you always do your best while here, I won't be disappointed."

"Yes sir, I promise I'll always do my best."

"And I will hold you to that promise, young man. Now, ordinarily it would be the height of bad manners to discuss such things during dinner, however I would like to see the diagnoses and instructions for Mr. Potter's care following his examination. Healer Greengrass, do you have the report and instructions?"

"Yes, Lord Black. Harry is also supposed to take several bottles of medicine, one of them with his meals. There is a list of prescriptions he should have, as well as dosage and frequency. I've included it in the report."

"Thank you. And as you have also reminded me, Mr. Potter is supposed to take one of these potions with meals, so allow me to rectify that delay. Jilly?"

"Master calls Jilly?" the little elf asked, appearing at Lord Black's side with a small pop.

"We are ready for dinner to be served, Jilly, thank you. Also, please be sure that there are things which Mr. Potter will be able to eat and tolerate. He has been injured and will be taking potions with his meals."

"Jilly will make sure Master Harry Potter sir has the bestest food to eat. Jilly will bring the dinner now for Master and his guests," and popped away. Moments later, food appeared in dishes on the table.

"May I assume Mr. Potter that you have been told next to nothing about your family?"

"I was told my parents died in a car crash, sir. My aunt didn't let me ask questions about my parents."

"Then I shall see about engaging a tutor for you, Mr. Potter. It is plain that you have not been taught anything about your heritage, a fact which we shall remedy soon. It will take me a few days to find a tutor that would be a good fit for you, but when I have, I expect you to listen to him or her, and complete your assignments to the best of your ability. If you do not understand something your tutor tells you, I expect you to say so and ask for your tutor to explain. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes sir. Would I still be going to primary school in Little Whinging?"

"No. You no longer have to live with the people you did before, so attending that primary school would be inappropriate. Your tutor will be able to teach you once I have found him or her, not to worry."

"Thank you, Lord Black."

"You're quite welcome, Mr. Potter; now please, finish your dinner. Jilly went to a lot of trouble cooking it, and you wouldn't want to hurt her feelings by not eating it, would you? After you finish your dinner, I believe Jilly has made a pudding for dessert."

Lord Arcturus surreptitiously watched the young boy as he ate dinner. He was almost painfully shy, but he could see a good bit of childish mischief in the lad's eyes as well. He hoped to see more of that mischief in the days to come.


	9. Chapter 9

_Azkaban Prison, North Sea_

Sirius Black looked up when he heard a human guard approach. He thought the guard was coming to do a round of cell checks and leave, as they usually did, but the guard stopped outside his cell.

"You have a visitor, Black. Come over here so I can put these cuffs on you, and no sudden moves."

Slowly, Sirius walked to the bars and put his hands, one above the other, between two of the bars. He stood still as the guard placed the magic suppressing cuffs on his wrists, and then drew his hands back into the cell.

"Take one step back."

He stepped back as ordered, and the guard opened the cell, and then took one of his arms to pull him into the corridor. Sirius wondered who had come to see him. He tried, but couldn't remember ever having a visitor before. The guard led him down several staircases and through several corridors, before stopping at a room with a closed door. Opening the door, he led Sirius inside. Glancing around, he saw a table with two chairs, one of them occupied. Sirius gingerly took the other chair, sitting down. The look on his face was one of resigned acceptance.

"No touching anything but the table, Black."

As Sirius nodded in understanding, he focused on his visitor. The visitor held up one finger, the universal signal for 'wait a moment', and turned to the guard.

"I'll be erecting a one way silencing charm. You won't be able to hear us, but we'll be able to hear you."

The guard waved his hand as if to say 'go ahead', and the charm was cast.

"Now then, allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Black. My name is Brian Greengrass, and I'm a solicitor. Lord Arcturus Black hired me to represent you."

"Grandfather is still alive then?"

"Yes he is. And last I saw him he was in relatively good health. Mr. Black, to give me a more complete picture, so I can more adequately represent you, can you tell me what you remember about when you were brought here?"

"Well, a few weeks before Halloween in 1981, I was visiting my friends James and Lily Potter, and their son, who is my godson Harry. We had been talking about what was happening in the war, and James said that Albus Dumbledore wanted them and the Longbottoms to go under a Fidelius charm and hide. James wanted me to be their Secret Keeper. I agreed at first, but maybe a week or so before Halloween, I spoke to them again, and suggested the Secret Keeper be changed, since as James' best friend I was the obvious choice."

"Albus Dumbledore wanted both the Potters and the Longbottoms to go under a Fidelius? Did James say why?"

"James said something about a prophecy, but I don't know what it was; only that Dumbledore wanted them to hide."

"I see. Please go on."

"James and Lily called Albus Dumbledore to where they were, and said they wanted a different Secret Keeper, since I was an obvious choice. Dumbledore suggested we ask another school friend by the name of Peter Pettigrew. He was in our circle of friends, but we weren't as close to Peter as James and I were. So he'd be a less obvious person for Secret Keeper if Death Eaters or even old Voldy found out the Potters and Longbottoms were in hiding. After James and Lily agreed, Dumbledore brought Peter to where we all were and recast the Fidelius, transferring the Secret from me to Peter Pettigrew. And then on Halloween, James and Lily were killed. Since Peter had told me the Secret directly after the transfer, I was able to go to where they had been hiding. The house was a wreck, so I started checking to see if I could find any of them. James was at the bottom of the stairs, and Lily on the floor of the nursery next to Harry's crib. Both were dead, but Harry was still alive, although he had a bad cut on his forehead. I tried to heal it, but I've always been pants at Healing spells. Since Peter had been Secret Keeper, I knew he had to have told old Voldy or one of his Death Eaters, because when I went to check on Peter earlier that day, only an hour or two before James and Lily died, I couldn't find him."

"Just a moment Mr. Black, I want to make sure I understand you correctly. You're saying that Albus Dumbledore cast the Fidelius both times? He knew you weren't Secret Keeper for the Potters?"

"Yes, but Dumbledore said Peter was the best option if I wasn't Secret Keeper. We didn't think to ask our other school friend Remus Lupin; Dumbledore always had him out spying where he could with the werewolf packs, so we weren't sure if he could be trusted with it."

"And what happened after you found the Potters?"

"I was trying to calm Harry down, cuddling him close and rubbing his back. I was able to bring him out of the house, and Hagrid showed up."

"I'm sorry, but who is Hagrid?"

"Rubeus Hagrid. He works at Hogwarts. I'm sorry but I can't remember what he does there exactly other than help Professor Kettleburn sometimes."

"So Hagrid shows up. What happened then?"

"He told me that Dumbledore had ordered him to collect Harry and bring him to Hogwarts. By that time, I was furious with Peter and wanted to beat the living daylights out of him, so I told Hagrid to keep Harry safe, and to tell Dumbledore I would come to get Harry in a day or so, after I had found Peter. I thought at Hogwarts that maybe Madam Pomfrey, their Mediwitch, would be able to heal the cut on Harry's head a bit better. I found Peter after a few hours, and he shouted in the middle of the street that I betrayed James and Lily. Before I could get any closer, he cut off a finger, blew up the street behind him, and ran down a sewer."

"I'm sorry, but you need to explain that last bit. How was he able to run down a sewer if the street had been blown up?"

"He's an animagus, a common garden rat. The street was in pieces, but the sewer was still there. I was hysterical, and started crying and laughing at the same time I think. Aurors found me and took me to a holding cell. Next thing I remember, I'm being taken to a boat to be brought here."

"So you don't remember anything about your trial?"

"What trial? I never saw anything but the holding cells in the Ministry before being brought here. I don't even know what I was brought here for, Mr. Greengrass."

"I see. Mr. Black, I will promise you that I will do everything I can to find justice for you and hopefully get you out of here. Keep in mind, this won't happen overnight, but I will be doing everything possible to get it done. In the meantime, I don't want you to answer anyone's questions unless I'm there; not even to tell the warden the color of the sky outside if he should ask. Understand?"

"I understand. Mr. Greengrass, will you answer a question for me? What's today's date? It's easy to lose track of time when the same things happen every day."

"Today is July 20th, 1989."

"Harry turns nine in a little over a week and a half. Thank you."

"I'll need to put a copy of this interview in your case file at my office. Do I have permission to share anything about your case with your grandfather? He asked for weekly progress reports, but nothing specific to the case."

"Mr. Greengrass, my grandfather is one of the few people in my family who never thought everything I did was wrong. You can give him generalities, but nothing specific. It might help his peace of mind."

"Thank you, Mr. Black. I'll get everything you've told me organized as soon as I'm back in the office. Remember; answer no questions unless I'm there."

Sirius nodded in understanding, and Brian stood up, and then took down the silencing charm. He watched as Sirius was led from the room, and then left the room himself. After checking in with the warden to let him know his visit was concluded, he left the prison. He thought back to something Kyle had said, and it seemed even truer now.

Somehow, everything always seemed to lead back to Albus Dumbledore. The only question Brian had was, why?

_Black Moor, Home of Arcturus Black_

Lord Arcturus Black watched as his new houseguest sat down at the table for brunch. With everything that had happened to him the day before, Arcturus suspected the child was exhausted, so let his house elves know that instead of breakfast, they were to make a brunch for later in the day than normal, in case the boy overslept. He hadn't been wrong, and young Harry Potter had woken only an hour or so before.

Seeing the way the boy crouched down over his food, Arcturus spoke up.

"Mr. Potter, please sit up straight. No one here will remove your plate from you until asked. There is no need to behave as though it will be taken from you by leaning so far forward over it."

"I'm sorry, sir," Harry mumbled, looking down.

"Is that something that happened when you lived with your aunt and uncle? Your food would be taken away?" Arcturus asked, alarmed and concerned at once.

"Yes sir. I was only allowed to have what was left when my aunt and uncle, and my cousin Dudley finished eating, and if Dudley decided he was still hungry, he would take away my plate. I learned to sneak little bits of food when I was cooking, or I wouldn't get much to eat."

"First Mr. Potter that should never have happened. You have just as much right to eat a meal as anyone else, and should not have been made to go hungry because your cousin decided to be greedy. Second, you are no longer in the house of your aunt and uncle, so you never need to worry that you will be denied food to eat here. The most I would do is denying you dessert for misbehaving; I would never deny you food. And finally, if you feel you need to apologize to me for something, I want you to look me in the eye when you do so. It takes someone very strong to be able to admit they were wrong and ask forgiveness. In this instance however, you apologized when there was no need to do so. You were reacting in a way you had been used to reacting, or out of habit. Habits can be broken, so I want you to try to break the habit of curling or hunching over your plate at a meal. It does your posture no good when you do that. So, one of your rules is, you will always sit up straight at the table. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, now please finish eating. We still need to have someone measure you to ensure that any clothing bought or made for you fits properly, and that will happen after brunch."

With a small smile, Harry continued eating, happy to find out that Lord Black wasn't mad he was so hungry. Lord Black didn't scream at him the way Uncle Vernon always did, either. He looked over at the way Lord Black was sitting, and tried to copy it. He moved his napkin to his lap from where it had been under his elbow, and tried to sit up straighter. Lord Black was trying to show him the right way to do things, so Harry would do his best to learn. Hiding a smile behind his cup of tea, Arcturus watched the way young Mr. Potter tried to emulate what he himself was doing, although he didn't always get it right. He at least was trying, and any progress was a good thing. It would take time to help him unlearn what his aunt and uncle had taught him through neglect, but Arcturus was willing to take that time.


	10. Chapter 10

Vernon and Petunia Dursley of number four Privet Drive used to be able to say they were perfectly normal. It was something they took great pride in. Then Petunia's sister, the one neither ever spoke about, was killed along with her wastrel of a husband, landing Vernon and Petunia with their son. They just knew the boy would be just as abnormal, just as freakish as his parents, so they needed to teach him to be normal and did their best to do just that by his chores and the occasional-at least in their eyes-mild discipline. They had taught the boy a schedule to keep so their meals were always on the table on time, and their house stayed clean.

That morning the schedule was put behind. When Petunia woke up, she took her usual time getting dressed for the day before going to the kitchen to have her customary cup of tea that the boy was supposed to have waiting for her as he cooked breakfast for Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley. As she entered the kitchen, she immediately saw something was wrong.

There was no cup of tea waiting on the table for her, and the boy wasn't cooking breakfast. Angry, she stormed over to the door of the cupboard under the stairs and knocked loudly.

"Get up! Your uncle will be down for breakfast soon and nothing is ready!"

Not hearing anything from inside the cupboard, Petunia yanked open the door, only to find it empty. Furious, she went into the kitchen to begin breakfast so Vernon wouldn't be behind schedule, all the while trying to decide what she would do when she found the boy. Although, she couldn't rightly remember seeing the boy the night before, either. Vernon had gotten a small raise at work, so had taken his family, which for him was Petunia and Dudley, out to dinner to celebrate, and she remembered locking the cupboard door before they left to make sure the boy didn't wander around the house bothering their things. She had assumed the boy was in the cupboard, and didn't bother to look.

She heard Vernon coming down the stairs and started to go to the door to bring in the daily paper- _something else the boy should have done, lazy, worthless freak_ , she thought to herself-when she was startled by someone knocking. Opening the door, she saw an officer and someone in a suit. She sensed Vernon coming up behind her, and tried to smile in a slightly curious, but still friendly manner.

"Is there something I can help you gentlemen with? I'm afraid you've just come at breakfast, and my husband will need to leave for work soon."

"Yes ma'am, I am Constable Peter Jones and this is Stephan Carlisle with the DfE. We received a report yesterday about a child who had been harmed. May we come in?"

"Well I don't know who would have reported anything like that; Vernon and I would never hurt our little Dudley! Please come in," she said quickly, hoping to keep the neighbors from seeing.

After entering the house, the two men glanced around as Petunia hurriedly shut the door. Tugging on her skirt in a nervous gesture, she looked toward Vernon. A few moments later, Dudley clambered down the steps, stopping once to jump a couple of times on one of the steps before coming down the rest of the steps into the small foyer.

"This is our little Dudley, and as you can see, he's not harmed in any way!"

"Ma'am, I haven't even asked any questions as yet. You are Mr. and Mrs. Vernon and Petunia Dursley, correct?" Constable Jones asked.

"We are," Vernon blustered, face turning a slight red, "but as my wife just said, our son isn't harmed."

"We actually aren't here about your son, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. It is in regard to another child. You have a nephew that lives with you, do you not?" Mr. Carlisle asked.

"Is the freak in trouble? Mummy and Daddy said that the next time he got in trouble, he wouldn't be allowed to eat for a month, since a week never worked. Is he in trouble?" Dudley asked hopefully.

"I never said he was in trouble young man, but what do you mean that someone wasn't 'allowed' to eat?" Mr. Carlisle asked.

"You will not question my son without my permission!" Vernon shouted, face going a dark red.

"Mr. Dursley, as part of our investigation, I am allowed to ask questions of any child who may have witnessed or been a victim of harm, with or without his or her parents' permission. The fact you don't want him questioned suggests to me that someone has something to hide. Now if you like, Constable Jones can escort you and your wife into another room while I speak to your son, or you can both be quiet and remain in the room. I also find it telling that you haven't yet asked the name of the child who was harmed, since I've already said it wasn't your son. Shall I ask the Constable to escort you to another room?" Mr. Carlisle asked.

After a glance between Vernon and Petunia, both shook their heads and Mr. Carlisle smiled at Dudley.

"Now, can you tell me what you meant when you said that about someone not being allowed to eat?" he asked again.

"Oh, when the freak is bad or in trouble, Mummy and Daddy says he isn't to be allowed to have meals. Sometimes just for a day or two, sometimes for a week. But last time they said the freak wouldn't be allowed meals for a month if he got in trouble again. Is he in trouble?"

"Who is this boy you keep calling 'freak', Dudley? You were taught that it isn't nice to call someone names, right?"

"Mummy and Daddy call him that all the time, but sometimes Daddy calls him 'boy' too. He came to live here a long time ago, and he's my cousin, Mummy said. In school they call him Harry Potter, though."

"I see. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, I'll need to speak to your nephew as well please."

"I haven't seen him this morning yet," Petunia said quietly.

"Well then would you call him please?" Mr. Carlisle asked, well aware of where Harry Potter was at that moment thanks to Kyle Stanton's phone call.

"He could still be sleeping, Pet," Vernon said, becoming nervous.

"Not to worry, I can wake him, and the questions won't take long. Where is his room?" asked Constable Jones. He noted that Petunia's eyes quickly darted toward a small cupboard door under the stairs.

"I'm sorry, but as I said, you came just at breakfast, and I need to go to the kitchen. I've left things on the stove," Petunia said, looking at both men before beginning to walk to the kitchen. She didn't notice one of the broken toys that had fallen when she opened the door earlier and lodged in the door when she tried to close it. She started to stumble when her shoe caught on the toy and the door opened to around an inch. She made a grab for the door to catch herself, and inadvertently dislodged the piece of paper that had been taped inside the door. Both men watched as it fluttered to the floor, ' _Harry's Room_ ' clearly written on it in a childish scrawl.

"Mrs. Dursley, the Constable will accompany you to the kitchen so you may shut off the stove. You are then to come back in this room and sit down. Mr. Dursley, you may wish to contact your employer, because if I open that door and find what I think I will based on that piece of paper and what's written on it, you won't be going in to work today," Mr. Carlisle said in a low tone.

Vernon and Petunia looked at each other before doing as Mr. Carlisle had suggested. It looked as though their days of being perfectly normal had ended. They were taken outside after completing their tasks, as Mr. Carlisle almost retched after opening the door of the cupboard. They were each restrained, handcuffed, and given their arrest warnings for suspicion of child abuse and neglect, with probable further charges pending after the investigation completed. Petunia was especially hysterical on being told Dudley would be placed in foster care. Both Vernon and Petunia were thinking the same thing.

_This is all that little freak's fault_.

Two hours later, a short message was delivered to Kyle Stanton, along with an envelope marked 'Photographs: Do Not Bend'.

_Evidence against your client's soon-to-be FORMER guardians. Both of us have an appointment with the magistrate for an emergency hearing in two hours. Young Harry may need to be there, so it would be best if you found a way to contact him._

_Stephan Carlisle_

Kyle nodded to himself, mentally checking off another item from his 'help Harry' to do list, and made a Floo call to Lord Arcturus Black. If he had judged the man correctly, Arcturus would definitely want to be at the hearing.

_Ten Minutes Later_

Lord Arcturus Black walked into the library where he found Harry reading a copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard. He smiled as he remembered reading that very book to his son Orion, and later his grandsons Sirius and Regulus. He cleared his throat to catch the boy's attention.

"Is it time for lunch already, sir?" Harry asked, setting the book aside after placing a ribbon between the pages.

"No, Mr. Potter, it isn't, however I would like to ask you to go and get cleaned up. Your friend and solicitor Mr. Stanton has just contacted me and informed me that there will be a hearing in just under two hours. The magistrate will likely wish to speak to you as well, so it is important that you be there."

"Am I in trouble, sir? I don't remember doing anything wrong."

"Mr. Potter, I believe if you were the one in trouble, Mr. Stanton would have mentioned it when he contacted me. Please go get cleaned up."

"Yes sir."

As he watched Harry leave the library, he thought it was a very good thing there were laws about muggle baiting, or he would be sorely tempted to exact a bit of retribution for the way Harry had been treated.


	11. Chapter 11

Albus Dumbledore had just returned to his office in Hogwarts following the July session of the Wizengamot. He was irritable due to the long session, but was trying not to show it. He noted there was a large stack of mail on his desk, but decided to put off reading it until after he'd had a cup of tea.

After he finished his tea, he started on the large stack of mail. There were several letters from parents who were upset about the grades their children had gotten; another group of letters were from various members of the Order of the Phoenix, asking him his opinion on various things to do with the Order, and two from Arabella Figg. Sighing, he opened the first letter from Arabella.

_Albus, I'm worried. Usually I see Harry working out in the yard when I take my evening walks, but I haven't seen him for at least two days. Do you think someone from the Order could come look in on him? Who knows what is going on with his relatives in that house?_

Albus sighed, believing Arabella to be overreacting again. It was likely the boy was staying inside due to the heat. It was summer, after all. Reluctantly, he opened her second letter. If it was more of the same, he might send someone in the Order to Privet Drive just to ease her mind a bit. Harry was perfectly fine with his relatives; family always looked out for family.

_Albus, something is terribly wrong. The Dursleys were arrested this morning, and I haven't been able to find Harry anywhere in the area while walking around. One of the other neighbors told me their son had been taken to a foster home to stay. What should I do?_

He checked the date of the second letter quickly. Fortunately, it had been sent that morning. He needed to find out exactly what was going on; Harry wouldn't have the protection he needed if he didn't live with the Dursleys. After letting Minerva know he was leaving the school for an emergency, he Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, then apparated to Arabella Figg's home. He needed answers, and quickly.

Harry looked around at the small room. It didn't look large enough to hold the few chairs and table inside, much less the podium at the front. He was glad when Lord Black led him to a chair off to the side. He was sure he would somehow mess up and get in trouble.

"Harry, while you're here, unless someone asks you a question, you don't have to say anything. You aren't in any trouble, and did nothing wrong. We're here to make sure that you can always stay with someone who will take good care of you, understand?" Kyle asked.

"Okay, Mr. Stanton. Are my aunt and uncle going to be here, too?"

"No, Harry, they'll be talking to a different magistrate. Now, they're about to begin, so best behavior, yeah?"

Seeing that Harry understood, Kyle walked over to one of the other chairs and sat down. A moment later everyone was asked to stand as the magistrate entered the room.

"This hearing is to determine what is in the best interest of the minor child Harry James Potter. There is a report in front of me from the DfE, as well as a medical report from the Manchester Clinic regarding Mr. Potter's current health. Mr. Stanton, you brought a petition to have a guardian _ad litem_ assigned for the child. How did you become aware of the situation?" the magistrate asked.

"I moved into the house next door to Vernon and Petunia Dursley recently, sir. While I was moving boxes from the vehicle I rented to my new home, I saw a man shaking a child through the window of the house. After shaking the child, the man shoved him into a small cupboard under the stairs and shut the door. That child was Mr. Potter, and I introduced myself to that man in order to learn his name for my report to the DfE."

"And did you meet the child at that time?"

"No, sir, I met the child later. He had been outside and a group of boys-one of whom I know now is his cousin, the son of the man who had been shaking him-surrounded him, telling him to run. From what I was able to hear, the other boys wanted to play a 'game' as they called it, apparently named 'Harry Hunting'. His cousin is the one who kept telling him to run, and one of the other boys mentioned it wouldn't be a 'good hunt' if the 'prey' didn't run. Not liking the sound of that, I opened my back door a bit and went to the front yard. I pretended to bump into young Mr. Potter and whispered to him that my back door was open if he needed a place to hide, and after he began running, I also pretended to bump into the other boys to give young Mr. Potter time to go into my kitchen-where the back door of my house opens onto-and then returned to my house. When I asked him about what I had heard, he told me 'Harry Hunting' is a 'game' his cousin had made up for himself and his friends. It consisted of chasing young Mr. Potter until they caught him, and then beating him up. I informed Mr. Potter of what I do for a living, as a way to prove he wouldn't be hurt in my home, and he asked if I thought he needed a solicitor himself."

After making a few notes, the magistrate motioned for Kyle to continue.

"I explained that I did sometimes help children who needed a better home, as well as helped adults who wanted to raise children but couldn't have them. I also told him I had been his parents' solicitor before their deaths, which is something I was able to confirm when I had my assistant look up the names of Harry's aunt and uncle to see if their names appeared in any of the case files my firm handles, as Vernon Dursley's name sounded familiar when I met him. Sir, their names were included in only two documents: the Last Wills and Testaments of James and Lily Potter, Harry's parents. When he asked me if he could hire me as his solicitor, I told Harry that if he helped me tidy a few things from my move, I would pay him for the work, and he could then use the money I gave him in payment as the fee for hiring me. He agreed to that, and then hired me after the tidying was finished. I had promised him that my kitchen door would be slightly open when I was home, if ever he needed a place to hide, and all I would require is he close the door and let me know he was there. It was the next day he collapsed on my kitchen floor severely injured, sir."

"Is that when you made the report to the DfE?" the magistrate asked, trying to clarify.

"It is, sir. Because Harry was injured, I contacted one of the partners in my firm, whose wife is a physician, and asked them to come to my home as soon as possible. My partner's wife is the one who had Harry brought to the Manchester Clinic."

"Yes, I have the report from the clinic here," the magistrate said, glancing down at the file in front of him once again. He then focused on the other adult in the room.

"Mr. Black, what is your interest in this case?"

"My apologies, sir, but it is _Lord_ Black. I was granted the title of the Earl of Black Moor, which is the name of my estate in Walton-upon-Thames, in 1923 by His Royal Majesty King George V. My grandson is young Mr. Potter's godfather, and according to my family's traditions, the godchild of a member of the family is seen and treated as a member of the family as well. Mr. Stanton's partner-whom I hired to look into another matter-contacted me, asking for sanctuary for Mr. Potter. I granted that sanctuary and he was brought to my home after his release from the clinic. I have thus far made sure he rests, has enough to eat, and decent clothing to wear, since what he arrived to my home wearing was little better than rags and at least two sizes too large for him."

"I think I'd like to hear from Mr. Potter next. Harry, there is a chair next to mine at the podium. Will you come and sit next to me please?" the magistrate asked, smiling reassuringly.

After a quick glance at Arcturus, Harry walked over to the chair and sat down, looking at the magistrate nervously.

"Harry, did Mr. Stanton explain to you about telling the truth when talking to me?"

"Yes sir, he did."

"And you know the difference between the truth and a lie, correct?"

"Yes sir. A lie is something made up, so it isn't true, but the truth is always exactly what happened and is best when telling somebody something. You don't need to remember as much that way, because you never have to try to think of stuff you made up before if you tell the truth."

"Usually I ask someone to swear they'll tell the truth when I ask them things. Do you think you can do that?"

"No, sir, because Aunt Petunia always got mad and said I wasn't allowed to swear at all. But I can promise to tell the truth. Is that good enough?"

"Yes, Harry, that would be good enough. So do you promise to tell me only the truth when I ask you a question?"

"I promise. Only the truth."

"Thank you, Harry. So to begin, it's summer holidays right now, and I see from the file you're almost nine? How did you enjoy school this year?"

"I got in trouble a lot from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. They didn't like it that my marks each term were better than Dudley's. And at school Dudley would beat up anybody who wanted to be friends with me, so they all left me alone."

"Why would Dudley, who I assume is your cousin, beat up anyone who wanted to be your friend? That doesn't sound very nice to me."

"Because I'm a freak, and Dudley said freaks don't get to have friends."

"Harry, who told you that you were a freak?"

"Oh, that was Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. It's what they always call me unless Uncle Vernon calls me 'boy'. Because only a freak is left on a doorstep."

"Harry, I want you to know that being an orphan doesn't make you a freak. It just means that your parents have died, and no orphan is a freak. So next question: what kinds of things did your aunt and uncle do when your cousin misbehaved as punishment?"

"But Dudley never gets punished, sir."

"Not even for chasing you to beat you up? Surely he was punished for that, at least."

"No sir. Uncle Vernon would tell him to hit me more, that I deserved it, since I cost so much money and barely earned my keep."

"I see. And what did you do as chores for your aunt and uncle to 'earn your keep' in their house?"

"I cooked, cleaned the house, did laundry, took care of the garden for Aunt Petunia, washed Uncle Vernon's car, cut the lawn, and painted the fence outside when Uncle Vernon said it needed it."

"And when you were punished, what was it for?"

"Messing up when cooking, not having Aunt Petunia's tea ready when she woke up, upsetting Dudley by not letting him catch me to beat me up, things like that, but some of the things were silly to get punished for, since one time I was punished because I told them about a dream I had while sleeping."

"I agree, that is a very silly reason to be punished. Now, Harry, I want you to think of the least bad punishment your aunt and uncle gave you, and tell me about it, and why you got it."

"Hmm, I think that would be when Aunt Petunia cut all of my hair really short. She doesn't like it because it sticks up all the time."

"And what would a medium bad punishment be, Harry?"

"When Uncle Vernon locks me in my cupboard and says I'm not allowed to eat for a few days."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but what do you mean by 'cupboard'?"

"The small room under the stairs, sir. It's where my aunt and uncle let me sleep. The second bedroom is for Dudley's broken toys."

"Now Harry," the magistrate began, making more notes, "tell me what a really bad punishment is like, please."

"I won't get in trouble? Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon told me that people would think I was lying if I ever told about the really bad ones."

"No, Harry, you won't be in trouble for telling me. And since you promised that you would tell me the truth when answering my questions, I wouldn't think you're lying."

"Well Uncle Vernon would ball up his hand like this," Harry began, holding up a fist in example, "and he would hit me in the face a few times, usually in the cheek or my nose, but sometimes in my belly, and when I'd fall, he would kick me in the chest before grabbing my arms and twisting them hard before picking me back up. Then he would hit me some more and push me really hard so I would hit the wall or something with my back. Sometimes when he would push me like that I would hit my head too. I kept asking him to stop, and he would say that I deserved it for making Aunt Petunia mad or messing up on my chores or something, and for being a freak. I would always hurt all over, and sometimes would be bleeding, but he just shoved me in my cupboard and locked the door, saying he wouldn't let me out for a while, maybe a week or so, and then Aunt Petunia would get mad the next day because there was blood on the little bed that Uncle Vernon's sister Aunt Marge used to use for her dogs and brought over for me to sleep on, so she would tell Uncle Vernon to punish me again. The last time I got punished really bad, Uncle Vernon did it because I messed up making Dudley's favorite dessert, only Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon forgot to lock the cupboard door, so when they all left to go out for dessert, I remembered what Mr. Stanton promised, and went to his house to hide."

"Thank you, Harry. You can go sit with Lord Black again."

After Harry had taken the chair next to Arcturus again, the magistrate looked from one end of the table to the other before speaking.

"It is obvious to me there is more to this than what has been put in the file, gentlemen. What am I missing? I need all of the information available and pertinent to this case before I can make an informed decision."

"I believe the information you're looking for would be contained in the Last Wills and Testaments of James and Lily Potter, sir, however, as young Mr. Potter has never been told anything about his parents, he has no idea of what their estate entails, since their Wills have never been read. The person we believe responsible for that is currently being investigated on other charges," Kyle replied.

"Lord Black, you granted sanctuary to Mr. Potter. As I understand it, sanctuary is a form of protection from danger, although usually granted by a church, so I believe that granting sanctuary in this case was warranted. Please tell me, my Lord, what you would do to care for Mr. Potter should you be named his guardian _ad litem_? Also, please explain to me why his godfather is not able to do so at this time."

"Sir, my grandson is not in England at this time. He has been delayed due to circumstances beyond his control in returning, however, it is my hope those circumstances can be resolved soon so he may return home. As for Mr. Potter's care, I have a list of instructions from the Manchester Clinic regarding what Mr. Potter needs to bring him back to full health. I intend to hire a tutor to teach Mr. Potter in subjects he may not have mastered yet, and will teach him estate management myself in preparation for the day he is able to assume control of the inheritance his parents undoubtedly left to him. I have a large staff that will also assist in caring for Mr. Potter, and my home security is such that no one is able to enter the grounds of my estate without my express invitation or an appointment," Arcturus said, voice steady and determined.

For a few minutes that felt like an eternity to those seated at the table, the magistrate was silent, and looking over the information contained in the file. He opened the copies of the Wills, and after turning a few pages, read the guardianship section in particular. Finally, he looked up.

"This is my decision, which is final. Harry Potter will be removed as a ward of Vernon and Petunia Dursley; they are not fit to be guardians of any child in my opinion. Lord Arcturus Black will be named as guardian _ad litem_ for Harry Potter until such time as Lord Black's grandson, who is the godfather of Harry Potter, is able to return to England to assume guardianship as stipulated in the stated wishes of James and Lily Potter contained in their Last Wills and Testaments. Lord Black, based on what Mr. Potter has told me, it appears he may not have much experience in socializing with those his own age. As it happens, a good friend of mine has a child near Mr. Potter's age, who goes to a summer program for children that has such things as arts and crafts, music, games, and swimming. If you are agreeable, I can have my assistant get you the information. It is a program just inside Crawley, as I understand, which shouldn't be too far from your home."

"That information would be most helpful, sir, thank you."

"Then I wish you luck, Lord Black with your new ward. Harry, I wish you luck, and if you wait a moment, I think my assistant might be able to find something for you in my office, as it's so close to your birthday. I keep what she calls a 'birthday box' in one of my desk drawers for children I help if they have a birthday coming up when I see them, so please wait a moment before leaving with Lord Black, okay? Lord Black, I'll have my assistant get the information on the summer program for you."

"Thank you sir, Mr. Stanton promised you would help me and you did. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, Harry," the magistrate said, smiling slightly, "this hearing is adjourned," he finished, banging down his gavel.


	12. Chapter 12

It had been almost a week since the hearing, and as Arcturus watched Harry running across the lawn playing with a few of the elflings on his estate, he had to smile. He knew Harry was still very withdrawn in certain situations, so he had asked Jilly to find some of the elflings to play with Harry. It benefited Harry, since it allowed him to be a child instead of the unpaid servant his former guardians had tried to make of him, and it also benefited Arcturus, since allowing the elflings to play with Harry meant his house elves weren't divided in their duties between taking care of the estate and taking care of their families when something needed done.

The day before had been particularly hard on young Mr. Potter in Arcturus' opinion. Kyle Stanton had informed him that Mr. Potter would be required to speak to a representative of the DfE to describe what his treatment in the house of his aunt and uncle was like. The local Child Protection Services agency asked for the time, and offered to provide an advocate for Mr. Potter, but Mr. Stanton had volunteered, citing he was Mr. Potter's solicitor. He had of course sent a written invitation to the representative, requesting the interview happen in his home where Mr. Potter felt the most comfortable. The interview had taken three hours, and by the end, Mr. Potter was in tears. So it eased his mind somewhat that young Mr. Potter could still be happy enough to play.

"Jilly?" Arcturus called.

A moment later the house elf popped next to Arcturus, eyes wide.

"Master calls Jilly?"

"Yes, Jilly. First, let young Mr. Potter know it is almost time to leave for his first day at the summer program, and second, as I understand it, tomorrow is the lad's birthday. I'd appreciate it if you and the other elves could organize a small celebration for the occasion. I anticipate there will be several children as well as a few adults there. Mr. Potter will be nine, so please be sure the menu is age appropriate."

"It is being Young Master's birthday tomorrow? Oh, Jilly be making sure Young Master be having the bestest food to celebrate his birthday, Master, Jilly promises! I tells the elvses in the kitchen right away! Does Master think Young Master would like Jilly's special double chocolate chip fudge ice cream? Mipsy be happy to makes the cake, but Jilly be wanting to make the ice cream for Young Master."

"I think your ice cream would be perfect, Jilly, thank you."

Nodding enthusiastically, Jilly popped away, and a moment later he saw her next to Harry for a moment before popping away again.

Kyle sat in the office of the Crown Prosecutor assigned to the case against the Dursleys. He hoped the information he had would help the prosecution.

"You asked for this meeting, Mr. Stanton. So how is it you believe you can help the Crown in this case?"

"Sir, would I be correct in my assumption that Vernon and Petunia Dursley are claiming as part of their defense that their treatment of Harry Potter was due in part to not having enough money to properly care for him?"

"Before I answer that, what is your interest in this case, Mr. Stanton?"

"I was the solicitor of record for Mr. Potter's parents, James and Lily Potter. I now represent their son Harry."

"Well, Mr. Stanton, off the record of course, if something like this had happened to a child that I had a connection with, however slight, I would be trying to find a way to legally bring back having criminals drawn and quartered. However, that is not an option. Again, how do you think you can help?"

"May I assume as part of your investigation that you are also examining the financial records of Vernon and Petunia Dursley?"

"In a Child Welfare case where abuse or neglect is a factor, the financial situation of the caregivers is usually part of the investigation. It's used to determine if there are mitigating circumstances in the case. Why do you ask?"

"It is my belief that Vernon and Petunia Dursley were receiving a monthly stipend from the estate of James and Lily Potter for their son Harry's care. A stipend which was clearly not used for that purpose. Harry Potter had been in their custody since November of 1981 at least, so the stipend payments, if they were paid to Vernon and Petunia Dursley, might have begun in either November or December of that year. If you are able to find proof of that sir, it is my intention to file a lawsuit against the Dursleys for the return of that money. To that end, I would like a copy of the financial records for the Dursleys."

"You could obtain a copy of those records through a court order Mr. Stanton, so why come to me with this?"

"Without those records, the person I believe is responsible for Harry Potter being placed with the Dursleys to begin with might never face justice sir. Harry Potter was never supposed to be with the Dursleys according to his parents' Last Wills and Testaments. That case is still under investigation through my office."

"I believe I can provide you with an official courtesy copy of those records Mr. Stanton. It ordinarily wouldn't happen, however I don't like the thought of anyone who would for all intents and purposes pay people who would abuse a child with part of that child's inheritance escaping justice. As the lawsuit concerning the return of the money is more a civil matter than criminal, it doesn't fall in the jurisdiction of this office, and I wish you luck with it. I'll have my secretary make a copy and have it messengered to your office later today."

"Thank you sir, that would be most helpful," Kyle said, handing over a card with his firm's address on it.

At the same time Kyle Stanton was speaking to the Crown Prosecutor assigned to the case, Albus Dumbledore strolled into the small jail where Vernon and Petunia Dursley were being held before their trial. Looking around, he went up to the desk where a lone officer was seated.

"Are you here to visit someone?" the officer asked.

"I'm here for Petunia and Vernon Dursley. They are supposed to be released to my care and the charges dismissed," Albus said, with a hint of a compulsion spell behind his words.

"If either of them were supposed to be released, I would already have received the paperwork. Are you here to visit them? If you aren't, then I must ask you to leave."

Dumbledore couldn't understand it. The compulsion should have already prompted this young man to get up and retrieve the Dursleys. They needed to return to Privet Drive immediately so they could take care of Harry Potter when he could finally locate the boy. Deciding a larger risk was worth the gamble, he met the eyes of the young officer and cast a silent legilimens. What he saw was confusing. There was absolutely nothing in this young man's mind he could see beyond the duties for the day he was required to perform for his job.

"Sir, if you aren't here to visit someone, you need to leave."

Accepting this defeat as only temporary, Albus nodded at the young man and then turned and left. He could try again at a later time, hopefully when there was a different officer at the desk.

Brian Greengrass stepped into the visitor room inside Azkaban where Sirius Black was already waiting. He wished he had enough information and evidence to either get the man released or a long-delayed trial, but so far, he hadn't found any. Perhaps this visit might yield more results.

"Sirius, I'm sorry to say I don't have much more information regarding your case. Can you think of anything that might help?"

"Have you tried to get in touch with Remus Lupin? I realize he would think I was the Secret Keeper for James and Lily, but perhaps he could help find Peter Pettigrew."

"Actually, I have tried to locate Mr. Lupin. Unfortunately it doesn't appear as if he's in England right now."

"Okay, Peter would usually stay with Remus, James and I while at school, and unless one of us had already done it, didn't usually try to find a shortcut to class. He likes the familiar in his surroundings. During the war, we used to all be in Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. So he was able to become familiar with the other members, such as Frank and Alice Longbottom, Arthur and Molly Weasley, and a few others. I seem to remember Alastor Moody was also a member. I don't know if any of them knew that James, Peter and I were all Animagi, however."

"Three of you were Animagi. Why not Remus Lupin?"

"Remus Lupin is the reason the rest of our quartet became Animagi in the first place. I would tell you the reason behind it, but I took a Wizard's Oath."

"I know I should remember how to recognize Peter Pettigrew in his rat form, but I don't seem to have it in my notes, and my memory isn't what it was when I was younger."

"Oh, that's easy. He cut off a finger before he transformed to escape, so in his rat form he'd be missing a toe on one of his front paws."

"I can ask the people you've mentioned if they've ever seen a rat with that description, but it might not amount to anything."

"I understand. Can you tell me anything about Harry? How is my godson?"

"Unfortunately I can't tell you much beyond he's been given sanctuary by your grandfather, so he is safe. Anything else in regard to Harry I'm not privy to, as he isn't my client."

"All that matters to me right now is he's safe, so that's good enough."

Brian glanced over to the guard waiting beyond the silencing charm and grimaced.

"It looks like your visiting time is up for now. I'll prepare a report for your grandfather and I'll see you next week."

"Thank you Brian. I can't wait to get out of here."

"Just try to be patient. We may wish things would move like a snitch, but the law tends to move more like a slug or snail."

After Brian cancelled the silencing charm, he waited until Sirius had been escorted from the room and left the prison.

Harry was looking around at the other children where Lord Black had brought him for what he called a 'summer program'. He was nervous, especially since every other time he'd tried to make friends Dudley chased them away. He couldn't see Dudley, so maybe this time would be better and he could actually make a few friends.

"Mr. Potter, as tomorrow is your birthday, if you meet anyone here that you especially like and can get along with, please bring them to meet me, and I can give them the invitation to your birthday celebration tomorrow. I know that a young boy like you can get bored spending all of his time with an old man like me. You need some friends your own age as well."

"Really, sir? Thank you! Where will you be, sir? Just in case?"

"I will be inside, in the room to the left of where you will have your lunch. The organizers of this program have graciously allowed me to use one of their offices for the day so I may write a few letters. Now go ahead and walk around. I'm sure the other children are just as curious about you as you are about them."

Harry nodded, and began walking toward a group of children who were tossing a ball back and forth. It looked like fun, but it also looked as though they had enough children to play their game, so he kept walking. He passed the swimming pool, but as he didn't know how to swim, he stayed away from the edge. He was trying to decide what to do first when he heard a voice behind him.

"Hello, you're new here aren't you?"

He turned toward the voice and saw a girl around his age, with big brown eyes and the curliest shoulder length brown hair he'd ever seen. Thinking it reminded him of one of the fluffy pillows his Aunt Petunia said were for decoration, he smiled.

"Yes, I'm new here. I just arrived a few minutes ago."

"I can show you around if you like; my parents bring me here every summer, and it's always fun. My name is Hermione Granger, what's yours?"

"Harry Potter, and if you could show me where everything is, that would be great, thanks."

Smiling widely, Hermione took his hand and started to lead him toward the far building, away from the pool. She pointed out various things they passed, such as where the restrooms were located, how to find the first aid office, the art room, the changing room for people who wanted to swim, the dining room where meals were served, and finally the library. Harry walked around the bookcases looking at the titles.

"Wow, there are some books here that I wanted to read and couldn't find; they were always checked out of our local library."

"You like to read, too?"

"Sure, but I don't always have time."

"Well, you're allowed to take books you find here home, checking them out just like in a regular library, but you have to sign up to do that with the librarian here first. That way she can write down your name, address, and other information before you take the book home. You have to bring the books back in a week, however."

"Where is the librarian? I'd like to get signed up to be able to check books out before I go home today."

"She usually sits at the desk over there," Hermione said, pointing to the far corner," but it looks like she stepped out for a moment. But you can still sit and read while you wait for her to come back."

Smiling, Harry pulled a book from one of the shelves and sat down at a table beneath a window. He noticed Hermione had also found a book and sat at the table across from him. They had only been reading a little while when the librarian returned, and Harry went to her desk to sign up for his privileges to check books out. That done, he returned to the desk and continued reading. It was the first time he'd felt comfortable spending time with someone his age. He looked up at the sound of a bell, confused.

"Oh, that's the lunch bell, Harry. So no one misses coming in, since there are activities all over. Do you want to sit together?"

"I need to ask my guardian first, but sure. He's in one of the offices writing letters, he told me. Do you want to meet him?"

"He won't mind? He might still be busy."

"He told me if I met anyone here I liked to introduce them to him, so I don't think he'll mind. He said he'd be in the room to the left of the dining room where lunch would be."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm sure. Come on, Hermione, and I'll introduce you. He might want to invite you to my birthday tomorrow, if that's okay."

"Well, I need to ask my parents about that, but I don't think they'll say no. How old will you be?"

"I turn nine tomorrow. How old are you?"

Hermione was just about to answer when they both heard a slightly amused voice.

"Mr. Potter, while I'm sure the young lady would object to what I'm about to say, a gentleman should never ask a lady about her age; it removes some of the mystery, you see."

Looking around, Harry saw Arcturus in the doorway, a small smile tugging on his mouth.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to be rude."

"It was an honest mistake, Mr. Potter. Now, who is the young lady?"

"This is Hermione Granger, sir. Hermione, this is my guardian, Lord Black."

"Nice to m-meet you, my Lord," Hermione stammered, blushing.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Granger. Since you were speaking about ages, may I assume that Mr. Potter has told you his birthday is tomorrow?"

"Yes he did, my Lord."

"Then I will be giving you an invitation to his birthday celebration. If your parents permit, I would like it if you attend. Young Harry doesn't know very many children his own age, and I always felt a birthday is more enjoyable with friends. I do ask that you don't lose the invitation," he said, drawing a cream colored envelope from his pocket, "it will allow you through my home security."

"I still need to ask my parents if I can attend, Lord Black."

"I understand. If they wish to speak to me, I shall be in this office until it is time to take young Mr. Potter home."

"Yes sir, I'll let them know."

"Thank you, Miss Granger. Now, as I am sure from the sound of that bell that it is time for lunch, why don't the two of you go to the dining room? Mr. Potter, I'll see you directly after for a moment please."

"Yes sir."

As Arcturus watched the pair walk away, he was surprised to notice that his ward's new friend was able to do magic. He might consider asking her parents' permission to include her in some of the lessons Mr. Potter would be having, since a tutor was able to teach two students much easier than one. After all, one never knew how strong a potential witch or wizard would be until they began displaying magic accidentally. Yes, he would definitely watch young Miss Granger as well. His ward would need a good friend for support, and he could already see that Mr. Potter was becoming attached to the young lady. After watching them talk over lunch a moment more, Arcturus went back into the office to finish his letters.


	13. Chapter 13

Kyle Stanton read over the financial records of Vernon and Petunia Dursley for a third time. Even taking into account the occasional raises Vernon Dursley would receive from his employer, it didn't explain the balance currently in the account. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus. He knew he was missing something, but wasn't sure what it was. He needed more expert help, so gathering all of the paperwork that had been messengered to him back into its envelope, he went out to his assistant's desk.

"Deborah, I need to go to Gringotts about a case. I may be there for a while, so please cancel or reschedule the rest of my appointments for today."

"Of course, Mr. Stanton. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?"

"I need you to inform Brian Greengrass of where I'll be, and ask him if he has time to meet with me tomorrow."

"Yes sir. Good luck at Gringotts."

"Thank you, Deborah. Let's hope that helps," he joked, before leaving the office. He wanted someone like Krogund to look at the records. If anyone would be able to find hidden money, it would most likely be one of the goblins of Gringotts or one of their human employees who knew forensic accounting. It wouldn't take long to reach Gringotts, but he had no idea if Krogund was available.

Half an hour later, he was sitting in Krogund's office and doing his best to keep his face impassive. He knew the evidence was there, but didn't know how to find it himself. After a few more minutes, Krogund's eyes narrowed.

"Did you happen to make note of a large amount of money deposited into the account around December of 1979?"

"Yes, it was for approximately five thousand Galleons, or twenty-five thousand pounds. Do you think it was one large payment from Dumbledore to the Dursleys?"

"If it were from Albus Dumbledore, it wouldn't have the designation of 'Garden Financial Group' as the originator of the funds, Mr. Stanton. There also wouldn't be subsequent monthly transfers of funds from the Dursley account to Garden Financial Group beginning in January of 1980, and stopping in October of 1981. This looks more like a loan to me. And from the amounts of the payments, the loan was not fully repaid, and is now in default."

"So it isn't something connected to Dumbledore. Is there anything that can help in the case against them?"

"Possibly, but I want one of our human accountants to look it over. She's had training in addition to what she received at Gringotts in the muggle world. She's a forensic accountant, and a very good one. When she came to us with the description and parameters of this training, Gringotts funded her education in the field. She's been with us for three years since she finished that training, and I have yet to find a set of suspect financial records that she hasn't been able to unravel to find the truth."

"So similar to when a muggle tries to skimp on paying taxes to the Crown, and tries to create a false ledger if asked questions, am I understanding that correctly?"

"Not exactly like that, but the general idea is the same."

"How long do you think it would take for her to find anything?"

"It depends on what she uncovers, Mr. Stanton. It could be anywhere between two weeks and a month before she finishes her examination of the records."

"I understand, Krogund. Are you able to copy these records before giving them to her? I'd like to keep a copy in my records, since they are the financial records of Harry Potter's aunt and uncle."

"Yes, that is possible. And with the connection to Mr. Potter, I can tell this accountant this particular assignment is high priority."

"Please let me know when she finishes her investigation. I might need to have her called as a witness in the Dursleys' trials in the muggle world. Apparently they're attempting to claim a lack of adequate funds to explain the mistreatment and lack of care in regard to Mr. Potter."

"You're only making it more difficult for me to not go to that house in battle armor to avenge what they did to a child, Mr. Stanton. Harm to a child in any form is one of the most heinous crimes to the Nation."

"Krogund, if I didn't believe there wouldn't be anything left of them to have prosecuted, I would just tell you that you had my blessing, and ask if you needed assistance. Unfortunately, that isn't an option I can legally take."

"I understand completely."

"I need to get back to the office, so if you could copy the records, I won't take any more of your time. Will you please send the bill for the forensic accountant to my firm?"

Without a word, Krogund made the copy and handed the originals back to Kyle. His lips stretched in what was almost a grin.

"Happy hunting, Mr. Stanton. May all your enemies fall before you."

"And may the wealth of those who fall to your blade overflow your vaults, Krogund."

"Before you go, may I assume you are doing this for Mr. Potter for little to no fee, Mr. Stanton?"

"I paid Mr. Potter two pounds for helping me tidy my home after unpacking, and then allowed him to hire me for the same two pounds. Why do you ask?"

"The amount of work you have done on behalf of Mr. Potter would be charged a substantial fee if it were being done for another client. I'm curious who would be paying the fee for the forensic accountant."

"As he is the lad's guardian _ad litem_ , I would be consulting with Lord Black on that matter. He may wish to pay for the service himself, but if he doesn't, I'll pay for it from my personal vault. Harry Potter's safety and well-being are what matter here in my opinion, so I'll be doing whatever I can to ensure that he stays safe, by legally cutting the legs out from under those who have done him harm in any form."

"And you will have whatever assistance that Gringotts can give you in this endeavor."

Standing and bowing respectfully, Kyle left the office.

_I'll be damned_ , Krogund thought after Kyle left, _if he hadn't been born human, Kyle Stanton would have made a DAMN fine goblin!_

Lord Arcturus Black, Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, sat in his study going over various parchments that needed his attention. The most troubling was of course, the latest report from Brian Greengrass. Apparently his grandson had taken a Wizard's Oath while in school, so information that might be needed to help him-whatever that information was-couldn't be revealed without Sirius losing his magic. At least he was now aware of the form a certain wizard who _should_ be in Azkaban might be using if he was in fact, alive, and not dead as everyone believed.

He contemplated the-albeit short-list of those children that were invited to his ward's birthday celebration the next day. Most of the names, such as Longbottom, Greengrass, Malfoy, and Macmillan, had children around Mr. Potter's age, so there shouldn't be an issue with allowing those children to attend. His name fell on one particular name: Miss Hermione Granger. He ordinarily would have been wary of allowing her to attend; however, when he watched her walk with young Harry to the dining area at the summer program's facility, he'd noticed something about her, something that not everyone could have noticed. For the briefest of moments, his particular gift from the Black bloodline, mage sight, had activated, allowing him to see the _shimmer_ in the aura surrounding the young girl; it was the shimmer of a still-developing magical gift. He wasn't able to see a developing magical core, but he was able to see if someone would likely be able to do magic later in life, even if it were as inconsequential a gift as seeing ghosts and other spirits. It was for this reason that Arcturus allowed the invitation to Hermione.

The next thing he needed to do was answer letters that had come in while he had been with Harry that morning and afternoon. The first one he opened had the Gringotts seal on the flap.

_To Lord Arcturus Black, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Greetings:_

_Lord Black,_

_It has come to my attention that Albus Dumbledore had tried to access the Potter Family vaults earlier today. He was of course unsuccessful in his attempt, as he is not listed as the Magical Guardian of Harry Potter. You should also be aware sir, that he then attempted to gain access by claiming to need to withdraw funds for Harry Potter for a "grave injury" that allegedly young Mr. Potter required medical treatment to help. He made mention of his belief that he should be able to access the Potter Vaults, both Family and Trust Vaults, due to being the Executor of the Last Wills and Testaments of James and Lily Potter, and that part of what he was supposed to do was to ensure that Harry Potter remained safe, thus his alleged secondary attempt to gain access to the vaults._

_He was then informed that Gringotts had no record of Albus Dumbledore being named Executor for the Potters, and he claimed he would be able to bring that proof to the bank. He has an appointment to do so on 1 August, at three p.m._

_I would recommend that you bring Mr. Potter to the bank before that time so he may claim his Heir's ring. Although he is the last Potter, as I'm sure you are aware, Harry Potter may not claim his Head of House ring until he is of the age to obtain a wand. However, he is able to claim his Heir ring at any age from five on._

_Sincerely,_

_Krogund Axeblade_

_Potter Family Account Manager_

Arcturus narrowed his eyes as he read the letter, and then swiftly wrote a response.

_To Krogund Axeblade, Potter Family Account Manager, Greetings:_

_As tomorrow is young Mr. Potter's birthday, are you able to see us this evening? I will also be bringing Mr. Potter's solicitor._

_Please advise me if this is convenient, or if I should attempt to find time before the guests for Mr. Potter's birthday begin to arrive tomorrow._

_Sincerely,_

_Lord Arcturus Black III_

_Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black_

Folding the letter, he placed a seal on it, wrote a short letter to Kyle Stanton and sealed it, and called for a house elf.

"Jilly!"

A small pop signaled the house elf's arrival.

"Master calls Jilly? What can Jilly do for Master?"

"I want you to deliver these letters. Only drop off the letter for Mr. Stanton, and wait for a reply at Gringotts."

"Yes, Master. Jilly is happy to serve," she said, nodding her head before taking the letters and popping away.

Arcturus walked to the small bar and poured himself a small tumbler. He needed to calm down before Mr. Stanton arrived. Thinking some more, he went to the Floo and called Brian Greengrass.

"Lord Black, is everything all right? I was just about to leave the office."

"I've sent a letter to your partner Mr. Stanton asking him to come with me to Gringotts. I want you there as well. I've been asked to bring young Mr. Potter to the bank."

"So soon? I realize that Gringotts staff keep hours to accommodate their clients best, but it's Sunday, sir. What's happened?"

"Albus Dumbledore happened. I want my grandson to have his trial by the end of the week, am I clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

"In the morning, I want you to go to the Ministry and get me every report, file, affidavit, or scrap of parchment that has my grandson's name on it and bring it here. I'm aware of exactly how often the records are updated, so I'll be able to tell you if something has been made up out of whole cloth immediately. I'll be _damned_ if I'll allow that manipulative old coot railroad _any_ member of my House again. Salazar knows even the worst of the Death Eaters in the war received trials before being sent to Azkaban. And you're going to help me see to it that Albus Dumbledore pays for denying MY grandson even that basic right."

Brian nodded in acknowledgement, and after Kyle arrived, Arcturus gave him a brief summary before asking a house elf to bring Harry to the study. Just as Harry walked into the room, Jilly returned with the reply.

_Lord Black,_

_I will expect you, young Mr. Potter, and your solicitors shortly._

_Krogund_

_Potter Family Account Manager_

Brian never thought he would see the day he actually _pitied_ Albus Dumbledore.


	14. Chapter 14

Lord Arcturus Black III, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, was more than angry as he walked into Gringotts with his ward Harry Potter and their respective solicitors, he was furious. Even though he kept his face expressionless, people who saw him in the bank lobby quickly moved out of the way, for fear the cold rage in his eyes would be turned on them if they fell into his notice.

Despite the rage simmering just under the surface however, the hand on the shoulder of his young ward was gentle. The lad had been through enough already at the hands of his aunt and uncle; he wasn't going to be the cause of additional pain to the boy. However, Arcturus still stalked to one of the teller windows in as controlled a manner as his rage would allow.

"We have an appointment with Account Manager Krogund. Please inform him of our arrival."

Within minutes, all four were ushered into Krogund's office; he briefly took note of the confused look on Harry's face.

"I take it you've never seen a goblin before today, have you Mr. Potter?" Krogund asked. As Harry simply shook his head, Krogund tried to explain.

"You could say that my race is especially good with finance, Mr. Potter. We can usually find the best ways to earn the maximum amount of money. It's for this reason that witches and wizards use our bank for their money. And just like any other bank you may have seen, each wizard or witch that has money in this bank does so with an account. Goblins prefer high security for valuables and money, so in this bank, each account holder has one particular area in the bank where their account is located, what we in Gringotts call a 'vault'. Understand?"

"So everybody with money here has something like their own personal safe to put everything in?"

"Very like a safe, yes. Every account vault also has a key to open the vault when a bank customer wants to take money out, or put money in. Now, I'm sure you have many more questions, which I'm sure that Lord Black or your solicitor will be able to answer, or I will, however, we have other things which must be taken care of first."

"Indeed," Arcturus said, his voice a low growl.

"Lord Black, as I told you in my letter, Albus Dumbledore attempted to gain access to Mr. Potter's vault today. He was unsuccessful of course, but it does raise a concern. Lord Black, if Gringotts had not already been notified that young Mr. Potter was your ward, we would have had to allow Mr. Dumbledore access to the vault; he is in possession of at least one of the keys attached to the Potter estate, maybe more. I recommend that all of the vaults be rekeyed after Mr. Potter claims his ring."

"I have an account here? Then why did Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia always tell me that my parents died broke and drunk in a car crash? Uncle Vernon always told me about how much money I cost him and Aunt Petunia, because my parents didn't leave anything to take care of me. Why didn't anybody tell me?" Harry asked, voice breaking.

"You were told your parents died in a _car crash_? Mr. Potter, that isn't anywhere close to being the truth. When your uncle would tell you about money spent to care for you, do you remember any amounts mentioned?" Krogund took a quill and parchment from his desk, preparing to take notes.

"Uncle Vernon got mad when my school said I had to get my eyes checked because I couldn't see the board. He yelled at me about how getting my eyes checked cost two hundred pounds, and my glasses cost another fifty pounds. But my glasses didn't cost that much, I know they didn't, because Aunt Petunia made me get the frames from a barrel they had for charity and only cost Aunt Petunia ten pounds."

"Krogund, after he claims his ring and the vaults are rekeyed, I want every vault attached to the Potter estate audited. We need to know where every knut, sickle, and galleon went, and in what frequency. I'll pay for the time myself to get it done. I also want included in the audit just who authorized each transaction," Arcturus stated flatly.

"I already have our forensic accountant looking over the Dursleys' financial records. Mr. Stanton offered to pay the cost of her services if you did not. Shall I also bill your account for the forensic accountant in addition to the audit?"

"Yes, as Mr. Potter is my ward, I will cover any expenses required until he is of age to do so himself."

"Then let's move on to the next point of the meeting," Krogund said, removing a bowl and dagger from one of the drawers on his desk, and then setting them on top of the desk next to a fresh piece of parchment.

"Mr. Potter, in order for you to claim the ring as Heir of the Potter family, I must ask you to prick a finger with the dagger and let three drops of blood fall onto the parchment. This will give us the proof needed to bring the ring from the vault here."

Swallowing slightly, Harry picked up the dagger and pressed the tip of his index finger to the point. Once it was bleeding, he held his hand over the parchment and watched as three drops of blood fell, landing in the center. Slowly, words began to form.

_Harry James Potter b. 31 July 1980_

_Father: James Charlus Potter b 27 March 1960-d 31 October 1981_

_Mother: Lily Janet Potter nee Evans b 30 January 1960-d 31 October 1981_

_Heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter (assumes Lordship upon eleventh birthday)-father, James Charlus Potter_

_Presumptive Heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black-Godfather, Sirius Orion Black_

_Heir of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell (assumes Lordship upon eleventh birthday)-father, James Charlus Potter_

"It seems Mr. Potter is presumptive Heir to the House of Black, Lord Black, and upon his eleventh birthday is entitled to the Lordships of two Houses; Potter and Peverell. Now, Mr. Potter, to rekey the vaults so no one but you or your guardian may open them, please prick your finger and place three drops of blood in the bowl."

After looking at Arcturus and getting a nod, Harry again pressed his index finger to the tip of the dagger, then held his hand over the bowl when it was bleeding slightly. After the third drop of blood hit the bowl, it was surrounded by a red mist. When the mist cleared, four keys lay in the bottom of the bowl.

"Four keys, Krogund? I would assume two of them were for the main family vault for the Potters, and one for Mr. Potter's trust vault, but why the other two keys?" Arcturus questioned.

"The other two keys would be for the trust and family vaults for the Peverell account, Lord Black. As Mr. Potter is also Heir to that House, he would reasonably have access to those vaults as well."

"Bring the relevant rings, Krogund. Once young Mr. Potter claims them, no one but he or his guardian has the right to decide anything for him. If the Potter or Peverell rings are anything like the rings for the House of Black, he should be protected from people trying to potion or control him with Legilimency. I also want a full audit of the Peverell vaults and other assets performed. Mr. Potter will need to understand how to manage the estates when he is of age, so to make sure that all is as it should be, I'll need an accurate accounting of everything going forward."

"Of course, Lord Black. Mr. Stanton, you look concerned."

"What of the heirlooms, Krogund? Would there be a record if one was removed from one of the vaults? And would there be a record of who removed an heirloom if that happened?"

"There would be a full list of heirlooms by type, and within each type, the number of said type. For example, if there is heirloom jewelry, it would be divided into categories like brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces, and sets, with a list of how many necklaces there were with a description of each. And yes, each time an heirloom is removed, it is recorded."

Kyle nodded, making a note, and then looked over at Lord Black, raising an eyebrow. Arcturus nodded in silent understanding. He was also concerned that Albus Dumbledore might have helped himself to the heirlooms in the vaults, using the excuse he was withdrawing the item for Harry. Krogund summoned the Heir rings, and placed the boxes for each on the desk.

Opening the first box, Krogund tilted it to show Harry the family crest on the ring.

"This is the ring for the Heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. I know it looks too large right now, but if you are truly the Heir, the ring will shrink down to fit your hand. The ring would be put on the index finger of your left hand, Mr. Potter. Please put it on now."

Harry reached out and took the ring, putting it on his finger. His eyes widened as he watched the ring shrink until it felt snug. Then Krogund opened the second box, turning it to show the crest on the ring inside.

"This is the ring for the Heir of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell. Again, if you are truly the Heir, it will shrink to fit your hand. This ring would be put on the index finger of your right hand, Mr. Potter. Please put it on now."

Again, Harry reached out and took the ring, putting it on his finger, watching as it did indeed shrink to fit his hand.

"Lord Black, what do these rings mean? I don't understand."

"Mr. Potter, what those rings mean is, when you are older you will be the Head of the Houses Potter and Peverell. You would be in charge of making sure that the reputations of both stay honorable and good, if you have anyone who needs protection, such as I do with you because you are the godson of my grandson, you would be able to do that, provided they have a connection to that House. You would also be responsible for making sure that there is enough money to help run the House, paying expenses and bills, making sure there is always enough food, stays clean and tidy, things like that, since right now there isn't a Lady of either House."

"How will I know how to do any of that? Aunt Petunia taught me how to cook and clean, but nothing about the rest of it."

"Mr. Potter, that will be part of what I teach you in your lessons for estate management. I will make sure you aren't unprepared," Arcturus responded matter of factly.

"Lord Black, may I assume you would want copies of the documents prepared today?" Krogund inquired.

"Yes, and see to the rekeying of the vaults as already discussed. The keys that were in the bowl were more than likely recalled from whoever had them in their possession. I don't want someone being able to claim their key was lost and asking for a replacement. Invoice my vault for the cost."

"I'll see to it personally, Lord Black. I will also forward the results of the audits to you in a day or so. Then you may decide what you wish to do if there is anything amiss."

"Then I will bid you good afternoon, Krogund. There are still details to be finalized for Mr. Potter's birthday celebration tomorrow."

As the small group left the office, the three adults exchanged a glance. All three suspected that more than just heirlooms might have been taken by Albus Dumbledore. They would know for certain when the audits were completed.

Albus Dumbledore was furious. He had attempted to access Harry Potter's vaults, only to be denied by the goblins. He tried explaining he was the Executor of the Potters' estate, and they still turned him away! Sooner or later Harry's relatives would be out of jail, especially if Albus had anything to say about it, and they would notice immediately that the stipend of two hundred galleons wasn't in their bank account, although it was converted to muggle money in the amount of nine hundred ninety five pounds when it transferred.

The money that Albus had agreed to pay Vernon, that night in mid-November, shortly after he had made his one and only visit to the Dursleys to check on Harry. He had explained to Vernon that he needed Harry to grow up with a sense of humility, easily led, and not prone to asking questions. Vernon Dursley has assured him that he could make sure the boy could be raised to be obedient to an adult, but there would be a price. For all of the time until her sister died, Petunia would rant to Vernon about the amount of attention her sister Lily received from their parents. Vernon wanted money to ensure that their children would be raised to know they were more important than some orphan they were forced to live with, despite the fact that orphan was family. And so Albus agreed, making sure the stipend for Harry's care was sent to the Dursleys every month. And now, thanks to the goblins, Albus no longer could make sure the money was transferred.

Harry Potter needed to be returned to the Dursleys as soon as he could arrange their release from jail. No other option, to Albus' mind, was feasible.

Drawing the latest copy of _The Daily Prophet_ toward him, he began to read, trying to think of a way to manipulate things to achieve the outcome he needed. And after the Dursleys were released, he could concentrate more fully on locating Harry Potter.

The next morning, Brian Greengrass Flooed to the Ministry of Magic. He had no idea how long it would be to obtain all of the paperwork that Lord Black had demanded, so he arrived a half hour after the Ministry opened for visitors. After checking his wand with the Welcome Witch, he started toward the Hall of Records. Working from the birth of Sirius Black forward seemed the most logical way to obtain everything. It was on the way to the next Department, and the Office for the Improper Use of Magic, that Brian collided with someone, managing to cause the both of them to lose their balance. Focusing on who he had just bumped into, the first thing he noticed was the red hair.

"Oh, Mr. Weasley, I beg your pardon, I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Greengrass. As hectic as things are at home at times, you learn to take such things as accidental, and no harm done. I wanted to bring my son Percy with me for a short time. He's just finished his second year at Hogwarts, and said he wanted to see the Ministry again now he's had a little schooling and can understand a bit better what everyone does here."

"Well understanding things as well as you can is always a good idea in my book, young man. So is there anything you hope to see in particular? Perhaps I can suggest others as well. I would offer to show you one or two places myself, but I'm here on business."

"I don't think so, sir. Dad says you shouldn't bother people who have things to do," Percy Weasley answered.

"And he's absolutely right, unless it's an emergency of course. I saw when I bumped into your father that you dropped your pet's cage. Why would you bring your pet to the Ministry, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, I take him everywhere, sir. The Headmaster said I was allowed to keep him, although rats aren't on the list for pets at Hogwarts. So I have a cage he can sleep in while at school or when I need to take him somewhere."

"A rat, you say? How unusual. I've never heard of a magical species of rat before. May I see him? I can delay finishing my business here for a bit longer."

In answer, Percy held up the cage, displaying the rat. Brian noted that the animal had backed against the back of the cage away from the door, and looked to be almost shivering, but that couldn't be possible in the middle of summer. Then Brian saw it; on the front paw of the animal, one of the toes was missing.

Alarmed now, Brian looked at Arthur Weasley, and cleared his throat. He had to word this carefully if what he suspected was true.

"Mr. Weasley, may I suggest having your son's pet checked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures? I notice the animal has an injury; I'd like to be certain that it doesn't have an infection or other illness which could harm your family. I would be happy to pay for the testing myself, as it's my idea."

"I couldn't possibly," Arthur began, only to be cut off by Brian.

"I insist. If the animal is infected with something and goes back to Hogwarts with your son, it wouldn't be only your own family put at risk, but every student in the House your son was Sorted into."

Nodding in agreement, Arthur and his son followed Brian to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Once there, Brian picked up a form to request a magical pet be examined. While filling it out, he made sure to note on the form the possible need for an Auror, as well as his suspicion the animal was an Animagus. A few minutes after turning in the form and paying the fee for the exam, one of the Department workers as well as an Auror came into the room.

"Dad, why is an Auror here? Did I do something wrong?" Percy asked, worried expression on his face. The Auror smiled slightly before answering Percy.

"Well young man, you didn't do anything wrong, but I'm here just in case the person who tests your pet somehow hurts him. I can make sure she gets punished for it, okay?"

Percy seemed to think for a moment, and then handed over the cage to the Department employee.

"Young man, just to keep your pet from moving around too much, I'm going to put a light sleeping spell on him first. Otherwise some of the spells could hurt him if he squirms or runs around while they're cast."

Lightly tapping her wand on the rat inside the cage, she waited until it went to sleep, then began her scans. The first few were normal, and then she did the next one. Seeing the glow around the rat turn from blue to yellow, she exchanged a glance with the Auror.

"Mr. Weasley, may I suggest you take your son out of the room? Something unusual just came up in the scans, and I don't want your son hurt."

Looking worried, Arthur led Percy from the room after meeting the eyes of the three other adults. After he had gone, the Auror removed the still sleeping rat from the cage and laid it on the floor before stunning the animal.

"It seems your suspicion the rat was an Animagus was correct, Brian. The only question is, who is it? If the person is unregistered, that's automatically a year in Azkaban, which is why I stunned the animal," the Auror said, "but we still need to get whoever this is to revert back to human. It won't be easy, but it can be done. Am I going to need backup once the reversal is done?"

"In your position, I would have backup. We don't know yet who this is, and the only kinds of people who might be an Animagus without registering would be those who spy on others for profit, and Death Eaters that were never apprehended in an effort to hide, in my opinion."

After exchanging another glance with the Ministry employee, the Auror sent a message for backup for a suspicious situation, giving his location. A few minutes later, another Auror walked in.

"What's the suspicious situation, everyone? Not often an Auror gets called to this Department in the Ministry," the new Auror said, looking around.

"Possible unregistered Animagus. We don't know yet who it might be, so I called for backup before we did the reversal."

"I understand. I'll be ready with a restraining spell and magic suppression cuffs."

The first Auror renewed the stunning spell, and after a glance at the Ministry employee, raised a hand with three fingers held up. Taking that to mean the spell would be cast on three, everyone nodded, and the Auror began counting. On the signal, they cast the reversal spell, and watched in shock as the rat transformed into a dirty, overweight, balding man. The second Auror immediately hit the man with an _Incarcerous_ , and then placed magic suppressing cuffs on his wrists. Walking slowly around the bound man, Brian took a close look at his face and hands. Finding the missing finger, Brian looked up.

"This looks like Peter Pettigrew from the descriptions I've been given. Before he's woken from the stunners, someone do me a favor and check his arm for a Dark Mark. I've heard more than one person suggest that Sirius Black wasn't Secret Keeper for the Potters. And even if he was, if this man is a Death Eater, then we need to find out before we do anything else," the second Auror said.

After rolling the stunned man over to gain access to his left arm, the sleeve was cut open from cuff to elbow. Watching the fabric part, all four saw the distinctive snake and skull of the Dark Mark on his arm. Nodding at the first Auror, the second levitated the now-identified Death Eater out the door, pausing to speak to his colleague.

"I'll see you back in the DMLE; we're both going to need to write reports on this, and I'm going to assume Madam Bones will want this prisoner in one of the more secure holding cells for now. I'll let her know he changes to a rat, as well."

"I'll be there in a moment; I just need to finish here."

After the Auror left, the Ministry employee turned to Brian.

"What do you plan to tell Mr. Weasley and his son? We promised we wouldn't hurt the boy's pet."

"That will depend on whether or not the DMLE believes Mr. Weasley was knowingly allowing a Death Eater to hide in his home. If it was only chance he was there, I, or rather we, tell them that the rat was deemed a danger and sent to another Department to be dealt with. I can leave a few Galleons here so Mr. Weasley is able to replace his son's pet, since getting it checked out was my idea in the first place."

"That sounds reasonable. At least we were able to get another of those monsters off the street."

"That's true. I'll ask Mr. Weasley to come in and then I need to get back to what I was doing when I bumped into him today. Bad start to the day for the boy, though. I got the impression he was attached to his pet."

"We also might be able to get Mr. Weasley some extra money as a reward," the Auror interjected, "when you consider the Death Eater that was just taken into custody was brought in the Ministry in a cage, even though he was transformed into a rat at the time. Assisting in the capture of a Death Eater still has a reward attached to it."

"That may help curb any resentment before it begins. Since I assume the man in question is Peter Pettigrew, do you have any idea of when or if he'll come to trial? I'd like to be informed if possible," Brian said, looking at the Auror.

"That's up to Madam Bones and the schedule of the Wizengamot."

"I see. Thank you for your help today. I'll just go fetch Mr. Weasley and be on my way. I have business for a client to take care of today, and my client would prefer I have this task finished sooner rather than later."

After informing Arthur Weasley he could come back in, Brian continued to the Hall of Records. On the form for requesting records, Brian left it open ended, simply writing down the name 'Sirius Orion Black', and the man's birthdate. He hoped the records brought up would only be about his client, as he knew his client was the third 'Sirius Black' to be named in the House of Black. It would appear that his long day had just begun. He also needed to inform Lord Black of his progress so far. He was sure that Lord Arcturus Black would find it extremely interesting that the man his grandson had been sent to Azkaban for allegedly murdering had been found alive. After receiving the records, he checked the time. He would have just enough time to go home before his daughters were supposed to leave for Harry Potter's birthday celebration.

Arcturus looked around his home, evaluating the decorations the house elves had festooned his smaller ballroom with, and tried to decide if anything needed changed. Along the walls were paper ribbons in various colors, and a few tables where games were set up, as well as a table for any gifts to be placed. Arcturus himself had already placed his own gift there. Above the table that held the cake and other refreshments was a banner reading ' _Happy Birthday Harry_ '. A single long table was set for the guests to eat the meal before the cake was cut. After some consideration, Arcturus decided the decorations were more than adequate for a nine year old boy. All of the guests with the exception of the Malfoys had accepted the invitation, although he noted his cousin Narcissa had sent a gift. He didn't expect anything else from Narcissa however. Her husband Lucius demanded complete obedience and would likely have denied his permission for his son Draco to attend.

"Jilly," Arcturus called, beginning to leave the decorated room. A small pop signaled the house elf's arrival.

"Master calls Jilly? How may Jilly serve?"

"Where is young Mr. Potter? I haven't seen the lad since breakfast."

"Young Master Harry be with his tutor, Master. Young Master's tutor be asking him to read history books this lesson. Shall Jilly be fetching Young Master Harry?"

"No Jilly, his lessons are important. When the lesson is over however, please remind him he is to come to the small ballroom for his celebration. I expect him to be properly attired, Jilly. You will make certain of that, won't you?"

"Jilly help Young Master Harry with clothing, Master. Jilly not wanting Young Master Harry to make Master's House look bad, no, so Jilly be helping Young Master Harry."

"Then I will leave that in your hands, Jilly, thank you."

As Jilly popped away, an owl began tapping on the window, a letter attached to its leg. Arcturus crossed to the window and opened it, allowing the owl inside before taking the letter.

_Lord Arcturus Black_

_Black Moor_

Opening the envelope, he drew out the piece of parchment and unfolded it.

_To Lord Arcturus Black III, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Greetings:_

_Dear Lord Black:_

_While at the Ministry of Magic today, I ran into Mr. Arthur Weasley and his son Percival. Young Mr. Weasley had his pet-a rat-in a cage with him. Remembering what your grandson Sirius had told me in our meetings, I suggested the rat be examined in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures._

_Sir, the rat was no rat at all, but the transformed Peter Pettigrew, whom your grandson has been accused of allegedly murdering. Aurors have since taken Mr. Pettigrew into custody, not only for being as I assume, an unregistered animagus, but because on further examination after his transformation from rat to human, he was found to bear the Dark Mark on his arm. I have asked to be kept informed as to when or if Mr. Pettigrew is brought to trial._

_I have also been able to obtain the records you requested, and will have the report on those records for you soon. I have already made copies for my files and will bring the originals to you if you wish, when I bring my daughters to young Harry's birthday celebration._

_Respectfully,_

_Brian Gerald Greengrass_

_Greengrass, Morton, and Stanton_

Replacing the parchment back into the envelope, Arcturus nodded in satisfaction. It was going to be extremely difficult for the Wizengamot to justify holding his grandson in Azkaban for murder when the alleged victim was still alive. He made a mental note to be certain to attend the Wizengamot session when the man was brought to trial.

No one was permitted to harm his family and get away unscathed. He quickly wrote a message to Brian Greengrass, verifying that he wanted the originals of the records, and sent it off before retreating to his study. There was still business to attend to before the celebration began.

Harry walked into the small ballroom and looked around with wide eyes. The only experience he had with birthday parties was his cousin Dudley, and those usually meant trying to avoid being beaten up by Dudley and his friends while at the same time seeing the mountain of presents and sweets Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia always gave him. Not only was there a banner on the wall wishing him a happy birthday, there was a table with presents, and other kids his age had come. Looking around, the only person he recognized among the children was Hermione Granger, the girl he'd met at the summer program. Walking forward, he tentatively smiled. The first child to come forward was a small, slightly chubby boy about his age.

"Hello, Harry, and Happy Birthday! I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Neville Longbottom. Your Mum was my godmother, so we used to spend time together when we were babies, according to my grandmother."

"So we're godbrothers? I never knew I had a godbrother; Aunt Petunia never said anything about it."

"Not sure why she wouldn't have told you, but yes. Come on, and I'll introduce you around, since you're looking a bit lost."

After the introductions, Harry was still a bit nervous. With the exception of meeting Hermione at the summer program, he wasn't very familiar with the rest of the children. He didn't want to mess up and say the wrong thing; Lord Black might not be happy. Finally, he did the only thing he could think of, and suggested they play one of the games. There was a Cluedo game on one of the tables, and fortunately it was one he was familiar with, having seen it played at Dudley's parties.

After the game was over, Lord Black announced it was time for the meal before the cake was cut. Harry had gotten used to the food just appearing on the plate since coming to stay with Lord Black, so simply began his meal. Hermione however, was surprised and curious.

"How did the food just appear? I've never seen anything like that before."

"The house elves more than likely sent it, Hermione. It's part of their job," Harry answered her.

"House elves? What are house elves?"

"Well, I was told they're cousins of the elves that help Father Christmas. They help with chores and things."

"So do they do magic like the elves that help Father Christmas?"

"Well, they can disappear and reappear by snapping their fingers. That might be magic."

Curiosity partially satisfied, Hermione began eating. She hoped her new friend liked her gift. One day before a party doesn't give a lot of time to shop. She also didn't know anyone here beyond Harry or his guardian, so just watched the people around her. Two hours later, after all of the gifts had been opened, and the cake cut and eaten, Harry stood with Lord Black in the entryway to say goodbye to everyone and thank them for coming. It was something that Lord Black had told him was expected, and the polite thing to do. At least Lord Black explained everything to him when he told him about rules and things. His Aunt Petunia only said to not do this or that, but never said why. So the way Lord Black explained everything made more sense to him.

After the last guest had left, Harry looked at his guardian.

"Thank you sir. I had fun today, even though I was meeting almost everyone for the first time today."

"You're more than welcome, Mr. Potter. A young boy should be able to celebrate the day he was born. Now I'm sure your tutor has left assignments for you, so why don't you get started on them before it's time for bed?"

"Yes sir, and thank you again."

Watching Harry walk away, Arcturus wondered how long it would be before the fact Peter Pettigrew was in a holding cell in the Ministry appeared in the Daily Prophet. It would certainly make for interesting reading when it did. It would also raise doubts as to his grandson's guilt, which would certainly help in Sirius' trial.

He wished he could see the looks on the faces of the people who had signed the order to transport Sirius to Azkaban when the news broke. It would surely be a sight.


	15. Chapter 15

Arcturus sat behind his desk in his study, reading over the information that Brian Greengrass was able to find at the Ministry the day before. At least a hundred parchments, all of which were either about his grandson Sirius, or mentioned him in passing, and not one of them was a trial transcript, much less a record of any questioning. There were records from his school years, his birth record, parchments detailing his training as an Auror, and even records of arrests he'd made and trials he'd been asked to testify in. The fact Sirius was currently in Azkaban for alleged crimes without any record of proof was suspicious. He pulled the parchment he received at Gringotts closer and verified what he already knew. The order to transport his grandson to Azkaban had been signed by three people: Millicent Bagnold, the current Minister of Magic, Bartemius Crouch Sr., the former Head of the DMLE, and Albus Dumbledore, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

Before he could lose himself in thinking of various ways to make the trio who had consigned his grandson to Hell pay, an owl tapped on the window to deliver that day's Daily Prophet. He walked to the window to retrieve and pay for the paper, and then went back to his desk. He wasn't surprised by the headline, given the way news traveled in the Ministry.

_PETER PETTIGREW ALIVE!_

_By David Hendrickson, Independent Correspondent_

_In 1981, shortly after the fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, it was reported by this paper that Peter Pettigrew had gotten into an altercation with Sirius Black, at the end of which a street was blown apart and Peter Pettigrew, along with thirteen Muggles who apparently witnessed the beginning of the altercation, were dead._

_The damage to the street and the bodies of the Muggles SEEMED to fit the reports given at the time. However, it has been discovered that Pettigrew did not die in that altercation as previously believed. He has been found alive, and is currently in the custody of the DMLE. According to my sources, he is currently being questioned about his part in that altercation. It is unknown at this time whether or not there will be a trial regarding these events._

_These facts lead me to question why Sirius Black was then incarcerated. The widely accepted theory was he had been sent to Azkaban for the murder of the thirteen Muggles as well as Peter Pettigrew. Now that Mr. Pettigrew has been found alive, that theory has been proven false._

After reading the article, Arcturus nodded in satisfaction. It accomplished two things, in his opinion; bringing to light that somehow Pettigrew was able to fake his own death, and brought into question why his grandson was in prison for a crime that was now proven to have never happened. Hopefully it would cause so much confusion and outrage that Albus Dumbledore would be unable to fabricate an explanation that would be believed.

Albus Dumbledore sat staring at the paper in shock. He had been so certain that Sirius had killed his friend, and the fact that everyone believed he had been Secret Keeper for Lily and James Potter simply dovetailed into his plans for young Harry Potter. With Peter Pettigrew being questioned, it was very likely that it would come to light Sirius Black wasn't the Secret Keeper. That, to his mind, would be a disaster. Sirius could potentially be freed, and would then demand custody of Harry Potter. He wasn't aware if Sirius knew about the custody arrangements for Harry in the wills of Lily and James, but he might be able to obtain custody for the simple fact of being the boy's godfather. That absolutely must not be allowed to happen. Sirius Black was too independent and strong willed; he would almost certainly raise Harry to be the same way and question everything. He needed Harry Potter to have nothing to live for, so he could be led to what Albus saw as his destiny. He was pulled from his thoughts by Minerva McGonagall's voice.

"Albus, could what it says in the paper be true? Is it possible?"

"I really cannot say, Minerva."

Minerva huffed and put up a silencing charm before letting her Scots temper loose.

"Dinna tell me ye 'canna say', Albus! All day after the Potters were killed I sat on a wall watching that family, telling ye then they were the worst sort, and still ye left that puir bairn wi' those Muggles! At least tell me ye've gone t' look in on th' lad since."

"Harry Potter is safer with his relatives, Minerva. I've explained this before."

"Aye, ye've said that, bu' d'ye actually know it for a fact? 'ave ye seen the lad recently?"

"I have monitoring charms on the street to tell me if anyone magical comes near the house. Harry is fine, Minerva."

"Aye, monitoring charms will tell ye if someone magical is there Albus, bu' what aboot inside tha' 'ouse? How d'ye know if those people are treating him well?"

"He is their family Minerva. Family will always look after family."

"Dinna tell me tha' family always looks after family, Albus, no' when ye saw for yourself th' way Severus always asked t'be allowed to go home wi' Lily Evans at th' end of the year, no' to mention th' way Sirius Black ran away from his family to go live wi' James Potter an' his family!"

"Regardless, Minerva, Harry Potter must stay with his relatives. He is highly protected there."

With a smothered scream of frustration, Minerva cancelled the silencing charm, stood from the table, and stalked from the Great Hall. The few Professors who understood Gaelic widened their eyes; impressed at the invective they could hear her saying as she left.

"I'm not sure, Headmaster," drawled Severus Snape, from the other end of the table, "but I believe at least a few of Minerva's suggestions for you are anatomically impossible, judging by what she said leaving the Great Hall. What has happened to arouse her Scots temper this time?"

"Merely a difference of opinion, Severus; nothing that can't be resolved once Minerva calms down."

Brian Greengrass was expecting the message he received that morning, truth be told. Once it hit the paper that someone thought to be dead was found still among the living, it was only a matter of time before the public began reacting. And they were asking all the right questions thanks to the article, with some even asking if Sirius could also be innocent of helping Voldemort kill the Potters. He gathered his papers into his satchel and left word where he was going with his assistant.

A short while later, he was again led into the visitor's room at Azkaban. It was the first time he'd seen Sirius Black look even remotely hopeful since the initial meeting. After the privacy spells had been cast, Brian looked at his client. He needed to prepare Sirius for his trial at the end of the week, which might not be easy.

"How are Grandfather and Harry?" Sirius asked as soon as Brian sat down.

"As far as I'm aware, both are doing well, Mr. Black. Please remember to not mention either of them until your trial. If the wrong people caught wind of where your godson is, it would create problems for Lord Black."

Nodding in understanding, Sirius took a deep breath to calm down. Taking various papers from his satchel, Brian again focused on his client.

"I'm going to ask that they dose you with Veritaserum at the trial; do you have any objections to that?"

"None. If they have me dosed, then no one can claim later that I lied while testifying."

"As you're currently in Azkaban, protocol states that you'll be in the prisoner chair during the trial. As soon as you arrive in the cage, the chains on the chair will activate. Any issues with that at all?"

"Does the cage itself have to be there? Bars of any kind right now are something that I can barely tolerate."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Black, but it does have to be there. You know the Wizengamot procedure for this; all prisoners are held in the cage during trial to prevent escape should something happen."

"Fine. If it means getting out of here, I'll do it."

"Thank you. Your trial should be in just a day or two. I hope you're ready."

"If I'm not ready right now, I will be by then. Are my parents still alive? I shudder to think what Walburga has said about all this. 'Disgrace to my father's Noble House' would be the least of what she'd say."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Black, but your parents have passed on. Were you concerned about where you would live after being released?"

"Gods, as if I'd want to stay in that house with them. Even if they're gone, if the house elf is still around it might not be a good idea. Walburga's elf Kreacher has always hated me; I don't know if he would obey me or spit in my eye, to be honest about it."

"Perhaps I can find out if Lord Black has an idea for a place for you to live after the trial. I'm supposed to see him this afternoon to give him the update about your case. Some memories shouldn't be revisited, Mr. Black, and it's well known you left your parents' house to live with the Potter family during your school years. I don't even wish to imagine what could have driven you to that."

Standing, Brian took down the privacy charm, and then held out his hand to Sirius.

"I'll see you again in just before your trial, so likely in a day or two."

"Thank you Mr. Greengrass, for everything."

"Do try to behave yourself until then Mr. Black. A delay in your trial because one of the guards decided you needed isolated wouldn't make Lord Black very happy."

"I'll behave, I swear it."

_One or two more days, he said. It's almost over; finally, it's almost over._

The thought was more than enough to keep Sirius calm as he was led back to his cell.


	16. Chapter 16

The morning of the third of August began as usual for Albus Dumbledore. He dressed in his favorite robes, of a dark purple with silver stars scattered over the robes, and matching hat. He had breakfast in the Great Hall, although Minerva was still glaring at him, and he tried to think of a way to get the Dursleys released from jail so they would be able to take care of Harry Potter when he was able to find him. If the boy was to grow up humble and easily led, then Harry must, by Albus' thinking, be raised by the Dursleys. He really felt it was for the Greater Good.

He had just returned to his office after breakfast, when an owl delivered a letter. Judging from the red border on the cream colored envelope, it was from the Wizengamot. Reluctantly, he opened the letter, wishing he could ignore it.

_An emergency session of the Wizengamot is called_

_On this day, the third of August, nineteen eighty-nine_

_For Nine in the morning._

Albus cast a quick tempus charm to determine the time. On seeing the time was only fifteen minutes before nine o'clock, he hurriedly sent a message to Minerva that he would be away from the castle before leaving. It seemed his usual routine was about to be changed.

The Wizengamot chamber was close to chaos. Almost everyone there was speculating on the reason the emergency session had been called. All of the members were attempting to speak to their allies as a way to determine if anyone knew the reason behind the session. After they had taken their seats a few minutes before the session would open, Albus Dumbledore walked in next to the Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold. From the gesturing and facial expressions that could be seen, the discussion between the two was heated. After a moment, both took their respective places in the chamber.

"Seal the doors!" Albus called. The sounds of locks engaging was heard, signaling that the chamber was secure.

"This is an emergency session of the Wizengamot. Who has called for this session to be convened?" Albus asked.

Lighting her seal as Head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones stood. "I did, Chief Warlock."

"And for what reason did you call an emergency session, Madam Bones?"

"For the purpose of giving a dangerous criminal who has just come into our custody in the past few days a trial Chief Warlock. I thought it best to convene quickly to see justice done."

"I see. Are there any objections from anyone about hearing this case now and not in one of our regular sessions?"

After looking around, and seeing no lighted wands or seals, Albus nodded.

"Very well, Madam Bones, you may proceed."

"Before the prisoner is brought in Chief Warlock, I'm afraid I must ask you to recuse yourself from this case. There is a connection between the prisoner and yourself. In the interests of a fair trial, it would be best if you have no part of this trial."

"What? That's absurd; I am certainly able to maintain impartiality, so recusing me isn't necessary."

"I'm afraid I must insist, Chief Warlock. Surely you don't want to give the appearance of delaying justice?"

"And just who would take my place should I recuse myself, Madam Bones?"

"I'll sit as Acting Chief Witch," a voice said from the far right. Amelia turned her head toward the direction of the voice.

"Ah, Lady Griselda Marchbanks, thank you. Chief Warlock, if you would please recuse yourself and sit in the visitor's gallery, we can get started by bringing in the prisoner."

With a huff, Albus stood and went to the visitor's gallery while Lady Marchbanks took the seat he had just vacated.

"Madam Bones, you may begin by bringing in the prisoner," Griselda stated.

"Thank you Acting Chief Witch. With the Wizengamot's indulgence, this is someone who until quite recently, had been believed to be dead, however, the DMLE have managed to verify the prisoner's identity," Amelia began, and then touched the rune to bring the prisoner on trial into the cage.

Slowly, the Wizengamot grew silent as Peter Pettigrew was raised into the cage, already chained to the prisoner's chair. For three slow breaths, not a sound was heard in the chamber, and then the tension broke. Chaos ensued.

_Azkaban Prison, North Sea_

Sirius Black woke up early on the morning of the third of August. While he never slept very well in Azkaban, he normally only woke just before the guards would bring what passed for food in the prison. That morning was different somehow, he could sense it. It took him a moment, but he finally realized what was different…the depressing chill of the Dementors was gone from the cell block he was in. Sirius decided to make the most of the Dementor-free time, however long it was, and stretched his arms over his head before standing up from the straw covered boards that he used as a bed. He closed his eyes and pictured everyone who meant anything to him: James and Lily, his baby godson Harry, Remus, and his Grandfather Arcturus.

_One more day; just one more day and I can finally prove I didn't do anything wrong._

He cocked his head to the side and listened, thinking he'd heard something in the corridor outside his cell. He'd been doing his best to keep his head down and not draw attention, and the last thing he wanted was to give the guards a reason to isolate him when he was so close to getting out of the prison.

"Come to the bars of the cell, Black. It seems you're going somewhere today, so I need to put these cuffs on you."

Sirius stayed silent and walked slowly to the front of his cell before putting his hands between two of the bars. The guard put the magic suppressing cuffs on his wrists and after Sirius pulled his arms back, opened the cell.

"No tricks, Black. I have no problems putting a full body bind on you and dragging you out of here."

Sirius nodded in understanding and slowly walked out of the cell, standing still as the guard placed a medallion around his neck to ward him from the effects of the Dementors. Staying quiet, he followed the guard through the corridors and out of the prison. Once outside the prison, Sirius looked up at the sky, smiling a bit at the deep blue, and closed his eyes. He then took a deep breath, enjoying his first breath of air outside of the prison in nearly eight years.

"Over to the boat Black, I have other things to do today beyond ferrying prisoners everywhere."

Taking a few more steps, Sirius stepped into the boat and quickly took a seat. He didn't like being this docile, he was a Black after all, but if there was one thing Grandfather had taught him, it was if people believed they could control you, they would underestimate what you were capable of doing. So he could act the docile, browbeaten prisoner for now.

"Peter Pettigrew is supposed to be dead! _Everyone_ knows that Sirius Black killed him years ago after he helped kill the Potters!" a voice came from the left. Amelia focused in the direction it came from and found the source.

"Obviously Lord Abbott, Mr. Pettigrew is not dead. He has been in hiding since the Potters were killed presumably, and I would assume, based on evidence gathered since his capture, is here to stand trial," Arcturus said calmly from his seat, before Amelia could speak.

"You are quite correct in your assumption Lord Black. Shall we get started?" Amelia said.

"Amelia, I really don't see…" Albus began, only to be cut off.

"Mr. Dumbledore, you have been recused from this trial, and thus have no say in what happens during these proceedings. Also, please remember that within a session of the Wizengamot, those seated within this body are to be addressed using their titles, so it would be _Madam_ Bones. Please sit down so we can continue. Your opinions and suggestions are neither required, nor asked for by this body," Griselda Marchbanks snapped.

"Thank you Acting Chief Witch. The prisoner, Peter Pettigrew, is being brought before the Wizengamot to face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, violation of the Statute of Secrecy, multiple uses of an Unforgivable, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit infanticide and being an unregistered animagus."

"The charges are accepted by the Wizengamot. Peter Pettigrew, how do you plead?" asked Lady Marchbanks.

"Not Guilty."

"Very well; due to the nature of the charges the use of Veritaserum will be employed. Please administer the dosage now," Lady Marchbanks instructed.

Amelia watched as the required three drops were placed on the tongue of the prisoner. She knew the first few questions would need to verify his identity for the Wizengamot. She only hoped that the interruptions Albus Dumbledore appeared to be insistent on making were kept to a minimum. After a moment the Auror nodded, indicating the Veritaserum was taking effect.

"Please state your name for the record."

"Peter Alexander Pettigrew."

"What House were you Sorted into while at Hogwarts?"

"I was Sorted into Gryffindor."

"And who were your friends there?"

"I was friends with James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black III. We called ourselves the Marauders."

Everyone in the chamber heard the flat tone Peter was speaking with and nodded. His identity had now been verified for the Wizengamot; however more than a few were now questioning why the widely accepted story of this man's death at the hands of Sirius Black had begun in the first place.

"How have you been able to keep anyone from knowing you were still alive?" Amelia asked.

"I'm an animagus with the form of a common garden rat. I shifted into my animagus form and used my form to hide."

"Why did you want people to believe you were dead?"

"I didn't want anyone to continue looking for me after the Potters died."

"Why didn't you want anyone looking for you, Mr. Pettigrew?"

"I needed for Sirius Black to be blamed for the deaths of James and Lily Potter. It was why I accused Sirius of betraying them before blowing up the street behind me and shifting into my form to escape."

"Was Sirius Black the Secret Keeper for the Potters?"

"No."

"Do you know who had been Secret Keeper for the Potters?"

"Yes."

"Who was Secret Keeper for the Potters?"

"I was at Albus Dumbledore's suggestion."

"Why did Albus Dumbledore suggest you be Secret Keeper?"

"Sirius said he would be the obvious choice as James Potter's best friend; he said no one would ever think I would be Secret Keeper."

"Did you betray James and Lily Potter while acting as their Secret Keeper?"

"Yes."

"How did you betray them?"

"I told Lord Voldemort, my Master, the Secret of where they were hiding."

"Are you saying you are a Death Eater, Mr. Pettigrew?"

"Yes. I took the Dark Mark shortly after graduating Hogwarts."

"Did anyone beyond Sirius Black and James and Lily Potter know you were Secret Keeper?"

"Yes."

"Who knew you were Secret Keeper?"

"James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore."

Silence fell over the Wizengamot chamber for a moment before excited whispers and murmurings broke out. Amelia looked toward Albus Dumbledore, a look of incredulity on her face.

"How did Albus Dumbledore know you were Secret Keeper for the Potters?"

"Albus Dumbledore set the Fidelius Charm for the Potters."

Before Albus could fully rise from his seat in the visitor's gallery, he was hit with hexes from three different directions. The hexes combined saw him silenced, bound, and stuck to his seat in the gallery.

Lord Arcturus Black watched silently as there was now Veritaserum evidence his grandson hadn't betrayed the Potters, from one of his alleged victims no less. Evidence that also implicated Albus Dumbledore had known the identity of the Secret Keeper, yet had done nothing when an innocent man had been accused and sent to prison.

_Just a bit more information Albus, and I can put the final nail in the coffin you've made for yourself._


	17. Chapter 17

Petunia Dursley sat in her cell looking at the registered letter the Warden had just delivered to her. She and Vernon had been in this jail for two weeks now, and she had only seen her solicitor once since then. Hoping the letter could tell her when she and Vernon would be going home, she opened the envelope. Skimming past the usual greeting, she began to read the enclosed letter. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she read the contents.

_Mrs. Dursley,_

_It is with regret that I must terminate my services as your solicitor. Unfortunately the payment requested by my firm was denied when sent to your bank. Upon investigation, and in an attempt to find a reason why the payment for the retainer was denied, my firm was informed by the bank that the account held by you and your husband Mr. Vernon Dursley has been frozen pending the outcome of an audit._

_It is my recommendation that you show this letter to the Magistrate who will be hearing your case, so you may ask for either a Public Defender or information for a solicitor who will act on your behalf pro bono._

_Sincerely,_

_James Tiberius Hooke_

She didn't know how, but she was certain this was all that little freak's fault. Until he disappeared, and she still had no idea how he'd done that, she and Vernon had never even been accused of neglecting keeping the yard tidy. Now she and Vernon were in jail, poor little Dudley didn't have his Mummy or Daddy to take care of him, and even if they were released, they wouldn't have any money to buy the things they needed. Why did it matter if the little freak didn't eat as much as her Dudley? Dudley was a growing boy; he needed the extra food to be strong.

_There's also the bare possibility that if the little freak doesn't eat much, he won't turn out like my oh so perfect sister Lily. Mum and Dad should have never let her go to that freak school._

On the other side of the jail, Vernon Dursley was reading a very similar letter from his own solicitor. He scowled as he thought about his bank account being frozen. He didn't like the sound of an audit at all; he and Petunia could lose more than just access to their bank account, there was a possibility that whoever did the audit could find he'd never declared the money the old coot that left that little freak with them had been giving them every month for years.

No, he didn't like the sound of an audit at all.

Kyle Stanton was sitting in his office when his assistant knocked on the door. Looking up from the parchment he had been reading, he nodded for her to enter.

"What is it, Deborah?"

"An owl just delivered this, Mr. Stanton. I wanted to bring it to you right away in case it was important."

"Thank you Deborah. I won't be requiring your help for a bit, so why don't you take an early lunch and have a decent tea for once?"

"I think I'll do that Mr. Stanton, thank you."

Opening the letter, Kyle began to read. Within a few words, he had pulled a piece of parchment out and began taking notes.

_Mr. Stanton:_

_We have completed the audit you requested for Vernon and Petunia Dursley. We compared the amounts of their stated expenses as well as Vernon Dursley's known income from his employment, and it would seem that Account Manager Krogund was correct in his suspicions._

_From the beginning of January 1980 until the month of October 1981 there had been regular payments to Garden Financial Group, and payments then stopped completely. Garden Financial Group is the development company which built all of the houses in the area in which the Dursleys live, and arranged for mortgages allowing people to buy the houses that were built. Garden Financial Group was founded by Lily Janet Potter nee Evans. It was her idea to give the streets in that area names related to gardening, such as Wisteria Walk, Privet Drive, Magnolia Crescent, etc. Almost all of the mortgages for that area have been paid off completely, with two exceptions: the house in which Vernon and Petunia Dursley reside, located at Number four Privet Drive, and a house that you purchased recently. There is however, one house which was never offered for sale, located on Wisteria Walk. This house was intended for Lily Potter's parents, who passed away before they could take possession. Although it should have remained empty, as it was never sold to a buyer or rented to a tenant, this house has been occupied since December of 1981 by a Ms. Arabella Figg. All attempts to discover how or why Ms. Figg was able to take possession of the property have proven unsuccessful, as Garden Financial Group has no record of either a rental agreement or mortgage in her name; employees have reported being unable to approach the property to rectify the situation through eviction or a formal lease of rental or mortgage._

_Vernon and Petunia Dursley were considered late in making a payment on the mortgage for number 4 Privet Drive beginning in November of 1981 when their payments stopped. The mortgage was considered defaulted in February of 1982. Garden Financial Group never attempted to foreclose on the house as Vernon Dursley sent a letter detailing the fact he had needed to take in his wife's recently orphaned nephew Harry James Potter. As Mrs. Potter's only child, Harry James Potter is considered de facto owner of Garden Financial Group, and thus the owner of number four Privet Drive when the mortgage obtained by Vernon and Petunia Dursley fell into default._

_There have also been monthly deposits to the account for Vernon and Petunia Dursley beginning in November of 1981 which are simply annotated as 'stipend for care and maintenance' and bear the letters AD following the annotation. Each of these deposits is in the amount of £995._

_It is our opinion that Vernon and Petunia Dursley have not declared the monthly deposits, as we have been unable to locate any reference to the amounts deposited in any other financial or tax records. Copies of all records used in the audit will be sent under separate cover._

_Sincerely,_

_Miranda Killian,_

_Forensic Accountant_

_Gringotts Bank_

Kyle walked over to his filing cabinet and removed the file for James and Lily Potter. After placing the file on his desk, he opened it to look over the Last Will and Testaments once more. On finding the relevant clause, he again read through the letter and his notes; he needed to be absolutely sure about what he was seeing before attempting to contact Lord Black about this. As much as he was tempted to do otherwise, he did his best to bring his anger under control. His mentor in Magical Law had an iron clad rule: _never try to work on a case while angry; your anger will make you overlook what you need to see the most_.

Taking a deep breath, Kyle began going over what else needed to be done in order to help Harry Potter.

_Wizengamot Chamber, Trial of Peter Pettigrew, August 3, 1989_

_"How did Albus Dumbledore know you were Secret Keeper for the Potters?"_

_"Albus Dumbledore set the Fidelius Charm for the Potters."_

_Before Albus could fully rise from his seat in the visitor's gallery, he was hit with hexes from three different directions. The hexes combined saw him silenced, bound, and stuck to his seat in the gallery._

_Lord Arcturus Black watched silently as there was now Veritaserum evidence his grandson hadn't betrayed the Potters, from one of his alleged victims no less. Evidence that also implicated Albus Dumbledore had known the identity of the Secret Keeper, yet had done nothing when an innocent man had been accused and sent to prison._

_Just a bit more information Albus, and I can put the final nail in the coffin you've made for yourself._

Madam Amelia Bones wasted no time after seeing what had happened to Albus Dumbledore. Turning her head slightly, she gave a slight hand signal to one of the Aurors stationed within the chamber. Before he had been able to completely work his way free of the spells cast at him, the Auror had crossed to where Albus Dumbledore was currently stuck to his chair and placed a pair of magic suppression cuffs on his wrists. Nodding, Amelia spoke before anyone on the Wizengamot could object.

"While he is not currently under arrest, the fact Albus Dumbledore appeared to be trying to leave would make him a flight risk in my opinion. Auror Duquesne has merely ensured Mr. Dumbledore will not be able to use his magic until he can be questioned about information discovered during these proceedings. With your permission, Acting Chief Witch, I would like to have Auror Duquesne escort Mr. Dumbledore to an interrogation room in the DMLE."

"Permission granted. We will take a ten minute recess to allow for the transport of Mr. Dumbledore to the DMLE," Griselda Marchbanks stated.

Before the Auror in question reached the door of the chamber with Albus Dumbledore, Arcturus spoke up, his voice cold.

"Acting Chief Witch, it is my understanding that Albus Dumbledore has a Phoenix for a familiar. What will prevent him escaping custody by calling his Phoenix to remove him from the DMLE by Phoenix travel? As the information given today directly relates to those in my House, I don't want there to be a possibility of Mr. Dumbledore escaping justice, should justice be warranted."

"Excellent point, Lord Black. And I am sure that the DMLE can and will erect wards on any cell or room Mr. Dumbledore is in to prevent Phoenix travel. Am I correct, Madam Bones?" Griselda asked pointedly.

"Absolutely, Acting Chief Witch. I can see to those wards personally."

"Then we are in recess for ten minutes."

"You're absolutely sure about your findings?" Krogund asked the forensic accountant, his voice low with anger.

"I am, Account Manager Krogund. I have examined the financial records for the Dursleys for the time period stated, as well as the ledgers for the Peverell and Potter accounts as requested by Lord Arcturus Black and Solicitor Kyle Stanton. Albus Dumbledore has been steadily transferring funds from the Potter vault to Vernon and Petunia Dursley, as well as removing a significant amount of gold from the Peverell vault. There are also heirlooms of the Potter family through the Peverell line that should have been returned to the vault following the deaths of James and Lily Potter that are not in any of the vaults. Magical trace on the heirlooms leads to Albus Dumbledore. There are no mistakes," Miranda Killian reported matter of factly.

Looking at the ledgers for both the Peverell and Potter vaults, Krogund could see the discrepancies immediately. He took a moment to bring his anger under control before speaking again.

"Are you able to show definitively where the missing gold was transferred to at this time? Gringotts will want to levy our own charges against those responsible if a clear line of proof exists. To say nothing of what Lord Arcturus Black may decide to do."

"I anticipated your question when I saw where the investigation was leading, Account Manager Krogund. I examined the trail and found the gold removed from the Peverell vault was transferred into two separate vaults: one of the vaults has the designation of Order of the Phoenix, the other is the Hogwarts vault. Both are currently in the control and name of Albus Dumbledore. The vault for Order of the Phoenix is periodically emptied with just enough left in the vault to keep it open, and the funds transferred to the personal vault of Albus Dumbledore."

"Which goblins are supposed to oversee those two accounts? I want to save the time of calling the records to my office if possible. I will need to report the goblins involved to Ragnok regardless, and want to have all of the facts when I do so."

"The vault for Order of the Phoenix doesn't have an Account Manager as far as my investigation was able to find. The vault for Hogwarts is overseen by Account Manager Stoneblade. I would need to check the records to see if there is a pattern of a certain goblin being the one to take Mr. Dumbledore to the vault for Order of the Phoenix. As for the Peverell vault, I am still investigating who is Account Manager."

"Inform me as soon as you discover the name of the Account Manager for the Peverell vault. I unfortunately am unable to summon the ledger myself as I'm not the Account Manager, however I wish to give the information to Chief Ragnok."

"You'll have the information soon."

After watching the forensic accountant leave his office, Krogund pulled the Potter Account ledger closer and opened it, briefly scanning it page by page. All of the monetary transactions were matched by the findings of the forensic accountant, so he wrote a note on some parchment and sent it, requesting the assets list to verify the heirlooms and properties for the Potters. Running a single claw down the list, he ticked off which items were listed as being in the vault for heirlooms, and noted which properties were listed to make note of what may need repairs. The further he scanned both lists, the angrier he became.

_Potter Heirlooms_

_Jewelry (45 brooches, 300 necklaces, 25 wrist cuffs, 1 ring for Lady Potter, 1 ring for Lord Potter, Heir ring claimed by Harry James Potter)_

_5 trunks of Journals_

_Gold dinnerware, goblets (removed by Albus Dumbledore, November 1981)_

_2 gold high backed chairs (removed by Albus Dumbledore, November 1981)_

_Gold cutlery service for 16 (removed by Albus Dumbledore, November 1981)_

_1 Cloak of Invisibility (handed down to Potters from Peverell line, last authorized holder James Charlus Potter, magical trace shows currently in possession of Albus Dumbledore)_

_Various weaponry, armour_

_1 trunk of Family wands_

_Potter Properties_

_Cottage in Godric's Hollow (partially destroyed 31 October 1981, seized by Ministry of Magic for use as Memorial)_

_Potter Manor (vacant since death of Charlus Potter-possible need of repairs)_

Scanning the rest of the properties list, Krogund noted that the houses built by Garden Financial Group were listed as a subset to the company name, and all but two houses had been paid in full. He then noted one line in the list of properties of the subset.

_235 Wisteria Walk (property was designated for parents of Lily Janet Potter nee Evans, never put up for sale or rent; currently occupied by Ms. Arabella Figg since December 1981-authorization given by Albus Dumbledore)_

With a low growl, Krogund stood from his desk and went to his practice room, picking up a heavy battle axe and several knives. Methodically, he began throwing each one into the various targets in an attempt to cool his rage. As the Wills of James and Lily Potter had not been read, Albus Dumbledore should have been unable to access anything to do with the Potter estate, yet he had been systematically using a child's inheritance for his own profit and to assist those he knew, although for what purpose, Krogund didn't-yet-know.

_That_ would soon change, and Krogund would take pleasure in extracting every penalty and fine he could think of against Albus Dumbledore for what he had done to the Potter Heir. And as soon as he had calmed enough to be rational, he would be sending a letter to Lord Arcturus Black, detailing what had thus far been found.

_Wizengamot Chamber, Trial of Peter Pettigrew, 3 August, 1989_

After calling the session to order after the recess, Griselda Marchbanks looked at Amelia Bones.

"Madam Bones, do you have any further evidence or questions for the prisoner?"

"No, Acting Chief Witch, although I reserve the right to resume questioning should cross examination require clarification or elaboration."

"Granted", Griselda said before turning to the solicitor for Peter Pettigrew, "do you have any questions for your client, sir?"

The solicitor, a short man who looked nervous, stood.

"Ah, Franklin Cosgrove for the Defense, Acting Chief Witch. Although I would ordinarily have a list of questions for cross examination, I feel that Madam Bones has already adequately covered all of the points of the case. Therefore, I have no questions."

"Very well. Does anyone on the Wizengamot itself have any questions?"

She looked around the chamber a moment, but seeing no lighted wands or seals, continued, "Then I shall call for the vote on this case. Lighted wand for guilty, unlit wand for not guilty. Please cast your votes now."

Looking around, the chamber suddenly became very well lit. Griselda Marchbanks looked at the Scribe for confirmation.

"There are no votes for not guilty, Acting Chief Witch. All members of the Wizengamot have voted."

"Guilty on all charges, lighted wand, guilty on only some of the charges, unlit wand. Please cast your votes now."

Again, the chamber was brightly lit, and Griselda looked at the Scribe.

"All members vote guilty on all charges, Acting Chief Witch."

"Do any members of the Wizengamot have recommendations as to sentencing?"

Arcturus lighted his wand, as well as the seal for his seat. Griselda looked over, and nodded slightly.

"Lord Black, you have a recommendation for sentencing?"

"I do, Acting Chief Witch. As a result of the actions of the now convicted prisoner, a young boy lost his family, and my own House has been deprived of its rightful Heir for a number of years. I am disallowed by law to exact the retribution I would like for these offenses, so I ask the convicted prisoner be sentenced in one of three ways: a life sentence in Azkaban, a Dementor's Kiss, or being sent through the Veil. I feel anything less than a life sentence in Azkaban Prison, should Azkaban be the sentence, would trivialize what this young boy and my family have been forced to endure. Thank you."

"Noted, and thank you, Lord Black. Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot, please light your wands to indicate your vote for the options. If you do not want a particular option, please leave your wand unlit. As Acting Chief Witch, I abstain from voting. As Prosecutor for the case, Madam Bones will also abstain from voting. For sentencing, majority vote will rule. Those who choose life in Azkaban Prison for the sentence, please vote now."

"Ten votes for life in Azkaban, Acting Chief Witch," the Scribe stated.

"Those who choose Dementor's Kiss as the sentence, please vote now."

"Twenty-nine votes for Dementor's Kiss, Acting Chief Witch."

"Those who choose being sent through the Veil as the sentence, please vote now."

"Ten votes for being sent through the Veil, Acting Chief Witch," the Scribe stated.

"By majority vote Peter Pettigrew, you have been sentenced to a Dementor's Kiss for your crimes. As I am also aware you had been given an Order of Merlin during the time you were believed to have been dead, that is also stripped from you. Your sentence will be carried out by the end of the day. Madam Bones, please assign two of your Aurors to stand as witness to the sentence being carried out."

"I will, Acting Chief Witch, and I will be certain the proper paperwork is filed following the sentence being carried out."

"Then unless anyone has any other business for this session?" Looking around, no one spoke, so Griselda continued, "then I hereby close this session of the Wizengamot. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot, thank you for your time and service. Madam Bones, you and your Aurors may now remove the convicted to administer his sentence."

The only sound after the sentence was passed was the loud sobs and begging coming from Peter Pettigrew as Amelia and the Aurors led him from the chamber.

_We have the evidence now, Sirius. By tomorrow, you should be a free man_ , Arcturus thought before standing to leave the chamber, _never try to cross a member of my family_.


	18. Chapter 18

_Black Moor, Home of Lord Arcturus Black III, 3 August, 1989, Late Evening_

Arcturus set down the next to last report he'd been sent and rubbed his eyes. Reading through the numerous ways in which his young ward had been cheated, stolen from, or kept completely ignorant was making him angry. Picking up the last report from young Harry's solicitor, he took a deep cleansing breath before beginning to read.

"Jilly!" he called.

A moment later the House Elf popped into the room, eyes large.

"Master calls Jilly? How can Jilly serve?"

"I would like tea and a few light refreshments please. I have a lot of work to do this evening. I noticed young Mr. Potter didn't eat much at dinner; do any of the elves know what might be wrong?"

"Young Master Harry be having bad dreams, Master. He be dreaming about bad things. Jilly not be knowing what bad dreams be about, but young Master Harry be crying when bad dreams come."

"Is he still awake, Jilly?"

"No Master. Young Master Harry falls asleep already. Mipsy be watching over young Master Harry for Master."

"I want the elves to take care of young Mr. Potter the rest of the night. I will need to leave the estate briefly and am entrusting him to the care of the elves until I return. Absolutely no one is to disturb him until I return, am I clear? I am placing that young boy under the protection of the elves; don't disappoint me."

"Jilly understands, Master. Elveses not be letting anything bother or hurt Young Master Harry."

After the tea had been delivered, Arcturus sat for a few minutes contemplating what he needed to accomplish that evening. It had already been arranged with St Mungo's for a private Healer to care for Sirius while he recovered from his stay in Azkaban _when_ , not _if_ , he was found not guilty of the crimes he had been accused of and released, and he had already scheduled an appointment with Gringotts for the day after. Taking a sip of tea, he thought back over what had been done so far, when it occurred to him that the former guardians of young Harry might well be having their own day in court soon. It was likely, given the information he now had, that Albus Dumbledore would do his best to manipulate things so young Harry was returned to the Dursleys, whether or not it was best for the boy. Noticing the time, Arcturus walked to his Floo and left for his appointment.

_Office of Amelia Bones, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic_

"I must say Lord Black, that it isn't often I have the Lord of an Ancient and Noble House request an appointment with me. What can I do for you this evening?" Amelia Bones said, leaning forward in her chair.

"Madam Bones, it occurs to me that given the information which came out in Peter Pettigrew's trial that Albus Dumbledore may be the subject of a new investigation for your office."

"I can neither confirm nor deny that such an investigation is being conducted Lord Black, you know that."

"From my observations of the man, Albus Dumbledore is quite good at covering his tracks, helping him to appear to be completely above board at all times. May I assume that the questioning of the man following the trial was unsuccessful?"

"It would be more accurate to describe it as an exercise in frustration. He was able to answer every question without actually saying anything of importance, or even actually answering the question as asked. Unfortunately due to his positions on the Wizengamot, on the ICW, and as Headmaster of Hogwarts, I had to release him as I had no proof. A good defense solicitor would claim that despite it being testimony given under Veritaserum, anything Peter Pettigrew said was hearsay, especially since his sentence has already been carried out."

"So what you need is hard evidence. Madam Bones, I assume you can keep certain sources confidential while conducting an investigation?"

"You assume correctly, Lord Black. Why do you ask?"

In answer, Arcturus silently laid copies of the reports he had been reading earlier on Amelia's desk. He watched as she opened each report and scanned the contents. After she had finished scanning the last report, Amelia looked up.

"How were you able to obtain this information, Lord Black? And have you been able to verify any of it?"

"Certain questions regarding my grandson Sirius caused me to look deeper, so I put a firm of solicitors on retainer. Those reports are the results of their investigations."

"I may need to speak with the actual investigators of the firm, Lord Black. May I have the firm name, please?"

"The name of the firm is Greengrass, Morton, and Stanton. Shall I inform Brian Greengrass you may be in touch?"

"That would be helpful, thank you."

"Then I bid you good evening, Madam Bones. As a courtesy, I would like a copy of any additional information you may find about Albus Dumbledore; public records, and such, you understand. It may be helpful when I bring a civil suit against the man myself."

"I might be able to share public information with the law firm, Lord Black, but not while the investigation is taking place. It may compromise the case, should there be one."

After standing, Arcturus gave a slight bow in farewell, and left the office, taking one of the Floos home. It had been a long day, and the next day promised to be even more stressful, so after looking in on young Harry, Arcturus went to bed.

_4 August, 1989_

Arcturus Black III, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, knew that today would be his grandson's trial. With the revelations of the trial of Peter Pettigrew, Sirius' innocence would seem to be a foregone conclusion; however Arcturus didn't intend to allow anyone the opportunity to later say his grandson should return to Azkaban due to either a technicality or other alleged offense, so the trial would happen. He was just about to put on his traveling cloak when the voice of young Harry stopped him.

"Lord Black, I don't want to bother you, but I don't feel well."

Turning toward the young boy, Arcturus studied his face. Slightly flushed, bright eyes, and if the redness of his nose was an indication, the boy had been sneezing as well.

"What can you tell me about how you feel, Mr. Potter?"

"I'm hot, my whole body feels achy, I keep sneezing, and my throat hurts."

"I would agree, you don't feel well. Please sit on the settee and I'll call Healer Greengrass to come look at you."

Walking to the Floo, Arcturus placed the call and soon Amy stepped through. Carrying her bag over to where Harry was sitting, she began examining him to find out what was wrong. Sitting back after she finished, she glanced over at Arcturus.

"It looks as though he just has a slight cold, Lord Black. A few doses of Vitamix potion and rest, and Harry will be well again. Cool water to drink for the fever would also help, as it isn't very high."

"I must go to the Wizengamot today, so I will ask the elves to care for him while I'm out."

"That should be fine, Lord Black. Harry, I want you to rest today and tomorrow. So once the elves put you to bed, stay there unless you need to visit the lavatory, alright? You'll get well faster if you do."

"Okay, Healer Greengrass. Thank you for coming to see me, I know you were probably busy," Harry said softly.

"Looking after little boys who don't feel well is part of my job, Harry; it isn't any trouble. Lord Black, he should have a dose of Vitamix potion every four hours, and if you have the time, I need to discuss something with you."

"Jilly!" Arcturus called.

A small pop and the house elf was in the room.

"Master calls Jilly?"

"Mr. Potter has a cold. Healer Greengrass wants him to have bed rest today and tomorrow and a dose of Vitamix potion every four hours. I have an appointment today, and need to speak to Healer Greengrass before leaving. Will you take care of young Mr. Potter, please?"

"Jilly will, Master! Please come with Jilly, Young Master Harry. Jilly makes sure yous gets well fast!"

After the elf had left with Harry, Arcturus looked at the Healer, eyebrow raised.

"I can spare you five minutes, Healer Greengrass. What do you need to discuss?"

In answer, Amy waved her wand, and a sheet of parchment flowed out of it. On the parchment were the results of her scan, as well as a diagram of a child. The diagram had several large spots on it, and Amy pointed to two in particular.

"This first area is located in Harry's scar. I don't know what it could be beyond being Dark magic. I also don't know how to remedy that particular problem, so recommend you ask for a consultation with a Healer at Gringotts. It isn't anything a Wizarding Healer is taught to deal with, so perhaps the Goblins can help with that. This second area is something I noticed the day we brought Harry to your home," she said, pointing to the center of the diagram, which expanded with a touch of her wand, "as you can see by the gold color, this is Harry's magical core. What is concerning me about this are these dark lines that run through his core. They should _not_ be there, and suggests his magic was bound for some reason. I don't know who might have bound Harry's core or when, but with the injuries he received from his relatives, which these other spots on the diagram indicate, he's lucky to still be alive. His core might have burned itself out attempting to Heal his injuries while bound like this. I had noticed something was wrong with his magic that night, but was more focused on stabilizing him so he could be taken to the clinic for treatment. You already have my report from that night, as well as the report from the clinic."

"Would a Goblin Healer be able to tell who bound his core?" Arcturus asked.

"It's very possible they could, Lord Black. The sooner he's seen by one of their Healers, the better in my opinion."

"May I have copies of these results? I want to have a thorough picture of Mr. Potter, especially where his health is concerned."

Nodding, Amy Greengrass duplicated the parchment and handed it to Arcturus. Again picking up his cloak, he paused a moment.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Healer Greengrass. I need to go to the Wizengamot, and I'm sure you need to return to your own duties. I'll leave after you, as I need to lock my Floo."

"Of course, Lord Black. I was happy to help."

After watching Amy Greengrass spin away, Arcturus Flooed to the Ministry. He needed to be there before his grandson's trial began.

The Wizengamot chamber in the Ministry of Magic would look austere to a casual observer. Circular, with dark walls and lined with three tiers of chairs, it hadn't changed much since the Wizengamot had been founded. Certainly the prisoners brought to the chamber for trial found it intimidating. As Lord Arcturus Black moved his gaze around the chamber, he noted that Albus Dumbledore had yet to arrive. He caught the attention of Madam Amelia Bones and raised a single eyebrow while nodding toward the chair of the Chief Warlock, which was currently empty.

"Minister Bagnold, it seems that Chief Warlock Dumbledore is absent. May we have verification notice of this session was sent to all members?" Amelia Bones asked.

"Certainly. Scribe, please verify notification was sent to all members," the Minister of Magic stated.

"If it pleases the Wizengamot, notice of this session was indeed sent to all members as of half ten last evening. No notices were returned unopened or undeliverable."

"Then according to protocol, the Chief Warlock being absent, either a member must stand as Acting Chief Witch or Acting Chief Warlock, or the session may not be called and must be postponed until a later date. Are there any objections to postponement?"

Two wands lit, and the Minister looked between the two. Frowning slightly, the Minister looked at the first to light a wand.

"Madam Bones, what is your objection to postponement?"

"Minister Bagnold, this session was called to finally give someone who has been held in custody his day in court. The prisoner in custody has been in the custody of the guards and Dementors of Azkaban Prison since late nineteen eighty-one. He has yet to be tried for his alleged crimes. I feel that the delay in hearing this case has been long enough."

"And what is your objection to postponement Lord Black?"

"Minister, my objection is simple. The prisoner Madam Bones spoke of is my grandson and Heir. Since he has never been tried for a crime, there is no legal reason for him to be held in Azkaban. Let us hear the case and evidence to determine if he should return or be released."

"Very well, the session will proceed. Will anyone stand as Acting Chief Witch or Acting Chief Warlock?"

"I'll stand as Acting Chief Witch," the voice of Griselda Marchbanks was heard.

"Thank you, Lady Marchbanks. If you would take your place as Acting Chief Witch, we can proceed."

Griselda stood from her seat and walked to the chair of the Chief Witch, placed her wand in the holder and sat down.

"Seal the doors!"

As the chains and locks on the doors finished, securing the chamber, Griselda spoke again.

"This session of the Wizengamot is called to order. As this session has been requested by Madam Amelia Bones, for the record Madam Bones, why do you ask this session be called?"

"For the purpose of giving a person held in Azkaban Prison since late 1981 without trial his day in court."

"The name of the person who has been held thusly?" Griselda asked.

"The name of this person is Sirius Black."

"Very well Madam Bones, you may proceed. Bring the prisoner in," Griselda stated.

Nodding, Amelia touched the rune to bring in prisoners for trial. Slowly, Sirius Black began to rise into the cage. After he sat down in the chair, the chains activated holding him in place.

"Let the trial of Sirius Black now begin. Madam Bones, your opening statement."

"Thank you, Acting Chief Witch. Sirius Black, the accused, is being charged with Complicity in the betrayal and murders of James Charlus Potter and Lily Janet Potter nee Evans, the attempted murder of their son Harry James Potter, and being a follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He is also being charged with violation of the Statute of Secrecy, which violation resulted in the deaths of twelve Muggles."

"Does the defendant have counsel to represent him?" Griselda asked.

"Yes, Acting Chief Witch, he does," Brian Greengrass said, standing from his place at the defense table, "my name is Brian Greengrass, and I will be representing Mr. Black in these proceedings."

"And Mr. Black, how do you plead to the charges laid against you?"

"I'm not guilty, Acting Chief Witch, for all charges," Sirius answered, voice rough from disuse.

"Very well, Mr. Greengrass. Your opening statement, please."

"First, Acting Chief Witch, I would like to move one of the charges be dismissed. My client is the _oath-bound_ Godfather of Harry James Potter, and therefore is incapable of trying to harm Harry James Potter. To break that oath and attempt to harm his godson would have resulted in not only the loss of his magic, but his death. As he is clearly still among the living, that charge is invalid and should be dismissed."

"Any objection to the charge regarding the attempted murder of Harry James Potter being dismissed, Madam Bones?" Griselda asked.

"As I was unaware of the defendant's status as oath bound Godfather before now, Prosecution withdraws the charge of Complicity in the attempted murder of Harry James Potter, Acting Chief Witch."

"Please continue with your opening statement Mr. Greengrass."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot, my client until this morning had no idea why he was being held in Azkaban Prison. He was not the Secret Keeper for James and Lily Potter, so could not have betrayed them to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He did however know who the Secret Keeper was, and agreed to allowing others to believe he was the Secret Keeper to keep this individual safe. It is for that reason he went after Peter Pettigrew that Halloween night in 1981; knowing Mr. Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper let him know who would have betrayed the Potters in truth, so he was, in his capacity as an Auror, trying to apprehend Mr. Pettigrew. He was unsuccessful, and it was Mr. Pettigrew, not my client, who broke the Statute of Secrecy and performed magic in view of a street full of Muggles, which ultimately led to the deaths of those Muggles. When he was found later by Aurors, understandably hysterical from grief at losing his friends and shock from injuries, the Aurors didn't bother to question him, they just brought him to a Ministry holding cell. He was later transported to Azkaban Prison, still unaware of the reason why, because no one informed him. In the subsequent days, weeks, months, and ultimately _years_ spent in Azkaban, he still was never informed of why he had been incarcerated, and never given a chance for a defense. I intend to prove that my client has done _nothing_ wrong, and should be released as a free man, with all rights and responsibilities as a citizen of Wizarding Britain restored, and his name and record expunged of this incident forever. Thank you."

"Mr. Black, do you understand that as you are currently listed as a prisoner in Azkaban Prison, your right to refuse the use of Veritaserum is negated until the conclusion of your trial?" Griselda asked.

"I understand, Acting Chief Witch."

"Madam Bones, you may administer the Veritaserum and begin questioning once it has taken effect."

After the Veritaserum had been administered, Amelia watched as Sirius' eyes slowly took on the glassiness of someone under the influence of Veritaserum. After a moment, she began with the control questions.

"What is your full name?"

"Sirius Orion Black III."

"What House were you Sorted into at Hogwarts?"

"I was Sorted into Gryffindor. The first of my family to not be Sorted into Slytherin."

"Mr. Black, for years the Wizarding public has believed you to have been the reason You Know Who was able to find and then murder James and Lily Potter, leaving their son an orphan. Are you a follower of You Know Who, more commonly known as a Death Eater?"

"No, I would never have become a Death Eater. I am not one of his followers."

"You were seen by several people in the company of those who were later convicted as Death Eaters. If you are not in fact a Death Eater, why were you seen with those later convicted of that charge?"

"I was spending time with family members. Unfortunately, many of my family chose to follow You Know Who. I was required to be in their company due to family gatherings and various parties and events my parents held."

"Did you in fact betray James and Lily Potter?"

"To my everlasting regret, I did."

The Wizengamot, silent until that moment, began whispering among themselves. Sirius Black's solicitor claimed his client had done nothing wrong, yet he had just admitted betraying the Potters. Before the noise became too loud, Griselda Marchbanks rapped on her chair in an attempt to bring order to the chamber again.

"I will have order in this chamber!" Griselda exclaimed.

Slowly the noise died down.

"Thank you, Acting Chief Witch. Mr. Black, please explain how you betrayed the Potters," Amelia continued in her questioning.

"I was the first Secret Keeper for James and Lily Potter. Albus Dumbledore wanted James and Lily as well as Frank and Alice Longbottom to go under a Fidelius charm to hide. Possibly a week or so before Halloween in 1981, Albus Dumbledore suggested the Secret Keeper be changed because I was the obvious choice. I betrayed them by not remaining the Secret Keeper. I would have died before telling You Know Who the Secret of their location."

"Let's move on to when you went after Peter Pettigrew Mr. Black. You were there when the street exploded, killing twelve Muggles. Aurors found faint traces of magic in the area when they went to investigate. Peter Pettigrew was nowhere to be found. Did you use magic during that altercation, thus violating the Statute of Secrecy?"

"No. The last spell I cast with my wand had been a spell to try to heal the cut on my godson's forehead, since it was bleeding. To the best of my knowledge, my wand was never checked after Aurors confiscated it that night. If it had been, I don't think I would have been in Azkaban."

Brian Greengrass stood, and faced Griselda Marchbanks. So far Sirius was able to explain himself, but the wand evidence may be tricky. He had no idea if anyone had handled Sirius' wand while it had been held by the DMLE over the years.

"Acting Chief Witch, Madam Bones, I never received a report that my client's wand had ever been tested. I ask for that testing now, in front of this chamber," Brian stated, voice calm.

"That's a reasonable request Mr. Greengrass. Madam Bones, please test Mr. Black's wand for the last spell cast."

Nodding in agreement, Amelia walked over to the evidence table and picked up a wand box. Carrying it over to the Chief Witch, she displayed that the name on the box said ' _Sirius Black, 11 ¾", Supple, Reed wood, Unicorn tail hair core_ '. She then carried the box over to Brian Greengrass and showed it to him.

"Mr. Greengrass, do you agree that the magical seal on this box is intact, and that the name and wand description is that of your client, Sirius Black III?"

"I'll agree that the magical seal appears unbroken, and that the label bears the name of my client as well as his wand description."

"This wand was confiscated from Mr. Black, the defendant, after the altercation with Peter Pettigrew. I will now open the box and test the wand for the last spell cast."

Amelia drew her wand and unsealed the box, removing the wand inside. After placing her own wand back in its holster, she raised the wand she had removed from the box and cast the spell to reveal the last charm or spell cast with a wand.

" _Priori Incantatem_!"

Slowly, a mist formed, then began to take shape. Brian looked at the symbol, and looked at Griselda Marchbanks.

"Acting Chief Witch, unless I am mistaken, that is the symbol for the episky spell, used to treat minor cuts and some broken bones, such as a nose."

"Madam Bones, the defense counsel is correct. Please move on, as it is apparent that no magical altercation took place on the night in question."

"Your pardon, Acting Chief Witch, but as Madam Bones was unable to produce evidence that the Statute of Secrecy was indeed violated by my client, I would ask that particular charge against my client be dismissed."

"Agreed. The charge of violating the Statute of Secrecy is dismissed."

"Acting Chief Witch, it is known there are ways to render Veritaserum ineffective; better than average occlumency shields are but one example," Amelia pointed out.

"Acting Chief Witch, I must object to Madam Bones' comment. My client has been in Azkaban Prison since November of 1981. If he at any time had occlumency barriers or shields, exposure to the Dementors of Azkaban would have eroded those shields to nothing. Madam Bones likely has no further evidence with which to convict my client, and is now attempting to invalidate his testimony under Veritaserum."

"Your objection is sustained, Mr. Greengrass. Madam Bones, do you have anything further to present for your case?"

Glaring briefly at Brian, Amelia Bones faced Griselda Marchbanks.

"Acting Chief Witch, I have nothing further. The Prosecution rests."

"Mr. Greengrass, you may present your case."

"Acting Chief Witch, Madam Bones brought up the question of my client being a follower of You Know Who. If it pleases this body, I would like the left arm of my client examined for the Dark Mark, which is used to identify Death Eaters, the known followers of You Know Who."

"I'll allow the examination," Griselda said, nodding to an Auror.

The Auror walked over to the prisoner cage and reached in to pull up the left sleeve of the loose shirt Sirius was wearing. Even those on the top tier of seating were able to see the skin on the arm was pale, with no Dark Mark. Turning to his client, Brian straightened slightly.

"Mr. Black, are you a Death Eater who was never Marked?"

"No."

"Are you now, or have you ever been, a supporter of You Know Who?"

"No, never."

"Did you assist the person known as You Know Who, to murder James and Lily Potter, or assist in the planning of that crime in any way?"

"No! James and Lily Potter were two of my best friends; I would have never helped anyone who wanted to hurt them, much less help someone who wanted to kill them."

Nodding slightly, Brian then turned to Griselda Marchbanks.

"Acting Chief Witch, the remaining charges against my client were Complicity in the betrayal and murders of James and Lily Potter, and being a follower of You Know Who. As there is no evidence to support either charge, I ask that both of the remaining charges against my client be dismissed, and that he be released from custody, his rights as a citizen of Wizarding Britain be restored, and that his record be expunged of the time in Azkaban where he spent so many years awaiting trial."

"If I may ask, where would your client live if I grant what you are asking?"

Arcturus lit his seal. Griselda noticed, and looked over.

"You have a question, Lord Black?"

"Not a question, Acting Chief Witch, but I may be able to answer your question. Should the remaining charges against Sirius Orion Black III be dismissed, and he is released, as his Head of House I would see to it he received a full medical exam and whatever treatment he needs after his exposure to Dementors first and foremost. As far as living arrangements, as it is evident someone wanted my grandson and Heir discredited and in a place where he could do nothing, I don't feel it is prudent to reveal where he will be living if released, beyond that it will be at a property owned by the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black."

"Are there any objections to the remaining charges being dismissed due to the Prosecution being unable to prove their case and lack of evidence?" Griselda asked, looking around the room.

"The remaining charges against Sirius Orion Black III are hereby dismissed, all rights and responsibilities restored to him, and I order that his record be expunged, as it has not been proven that he has committed any crime. Aurors, please release the chains from Heir Black and hand him his wand. Merlin forbid the wand of someone against whom there is no evidence of wrong doing be lost before it is back in his possession, so it will be returned to him here. Heir Black, you have this body's deepest apologies for what you have suffered. I release you into the care of your Head of House, and wish you good luck."

Amelia walked over to both of them as soon as the cage sank back into the floor, her expression apologetic.

"I hope you understand I had to at least make an effort to win the case, Heir Black. I would recommend that you and your grandfather use an antechamber to leave the Wizengamot. Until the news of the charges being dismissed is known, I can't guarantee your safety should a member of the public see you."

"I had already planned for that Madam Bones, but thank you," Arcturus said, walking over to them. "Sirius, I've engaged a private Healer to take care of you. If I were to try to take you to St Mungo's it would turn into a circus."

"Thank you Grandfather. It's so good to know I don't have to go back to that cell."

As Amelia watched the three men leave the Wizengamot chamber through an antechamber door, she silently wished all three good luck for the future. They were going to need it, based on what she had been able to verify in the information she had.


	19. Chapter 19

Deep inside Gringotts, in a large room filled with weaponry and targets, the Account Manager for the Potter family, Krogund, stood throwing various weapons. He didn't often make use of the training rooms below the bank, yet with everything that had been happening recently, Krogund needed a purely physical activity to clear his mind.

After he finished with his workout, he returned to his office to go over the ledgers and other parchments once more. It was on the third parchment, which detailed the rules of Harry Potter's trust vault that he found what he was looking for.

_The trust vault for the Heir shall be increased by 2,500 Galleons each year on the Heir's birthdate after the initial 25,000 Galleons have been deposited for opening. No one but the Heir, or the Heir's authorized Guardian, i.e. Parent, Grandparent, Godparent, may withdraw any funds from the vault. The Principal amount of 25,000 Galleons may only be accessed by the Heir upon attaining majority._

Opening the ledger concerning the trust vault, Krogund ran a single claw down the page. The trust vault had been opened for Harry Potter in August of 1980, within two weeks of his birth as per the Potter family traditions. If anyone wanted to question him how he knew about the birth of the Heir while James and Lily Potter were in hiding, he still had the letter James Potter had sent with one of the Potter house elves.

Snarling, Krogund noted that the trust vault only contained a fraction of what it should. Harry Potter's birthday had just passed, so the vault _should_ contain 47,500 Galleons, as well as a few heirlooms designated for the Heir's use. The balance only read an amount of 27,500 Galleons. He needed to investigate where the money had gone, and which of the bank employees had allowed it to happen.

Sirius walked next to his Grandfather and solicitor, once more a free man. He felt weak physically, and mentally drained. He had finally been able to leave the prison and clear his name, but his time in that prison had taxed every mental defense he had at his disposal.

"Grandfather, where was Albus Dumbledore? Doesn't he usually oversee trials?"

"I don't know, Sirius. According to the Scribe he did receive the notice of your trial. Why he wasn't in the chamber today is something I can only guess about."

"Where will I be staying, Grandfather? I don't think I still have the flat I lived in before Azkaban."

"As I told Griselda Marchbanks, you'll be staying in a Black property. However, you'll be going under the care of a qualified Healer to recover your health for a time first. Whether that care is with you as a patient inside a hospital, clinic, or at home with daily checks will be up to the Healer."

"Will we be getting something to eat before I see the Healer? I'm a bit hungry, because I was too nervous to eat this morning when the Aurors brought my breakfast. And the prisoners inside Azkaban are only given thin gruel to eat."

"I want to see what the Healer recommends for you first. If you eat too much before you're ready, you might make yourself ill. Don't worry, I believe the Healer should be here soon."

Sirius nodded, and sat down on one of the many chairs in the hall, which were set aside for potential witnesses in various trials. After a moment, he looked up at his grandfather.

"But why wasn't Dumbledore in the chamber? I would have thought he would be there as Chief Warlock. Also, I'm concerned about Harry."

"I honestly don't know, Sirius. I've never heard of Albus Dumbledore missing a session of the Wizengamot, especially for a trial. It is something I will be looking into, however. But that's not something I want you to worry about. You're a free man again, and right now I want you to concentrate on recovering from your stay in the prison. Understand?"

"And Harry?" Sirius persisted.

"Is safe. I imagine that right now he's playing with the elflings instead of completing his lessons from the tutor at Black Moor."

"I was worried when Hagrid took him to Dumbledore when James and Lily were killed. At least he's been able to grow up knowing his heritage and being taught how to manage what his parents left him."

"We can discuss that at a later time. But not here. There are things regarding young Mr. Potter that you don't know, and I won't have you exhausting yourself further by discussing it now. It should be enough for you to know he's safe."

Arcturus was also concerned about Albus Dumbledore's absence. It wouldn't be anything good for either his grandson or young Mr. Potter.

_Earlier that Day, Office of the Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

After opening the summons for the emergency Wizengamot session, Albus Dumbledore sat back in shock. There could only be one reason for another emergency session so soon after Peter Pettigrew's trial and sentencing; bringing Sirius Black to trial. If that happened, it could be disastrous; Harry Potter needed to be returned to, and remain with, his Muggle relatives. If Sirius was brought to trial and exonerated, he could then immediately demand custody of Harry Potter. Leaving the opened Wizengamot notice on his desk, he sent a message to his Deputy that he would be away from the castle; he had to get the Dursleys released and back into their house on Privet Drive and quickly, so Harry could be returned to their care once Albus was able to locate the boy.

After all, it was for the Greater Good that Harry live with them.

The guard at the desk looked up on hearing the door to the jail open, and stared openly at the outlandishly dressed old man entering. He glanced over at his desk calendar to verify that he hadn't somehow missed Halloween, because if it weren't for the fact the old man's clothing was covered in a pattern of stars and planets, he would be certain he was looking at Gandalf. Exhaling in a long drawn out sigh, the guard waited for the old man to reach the desk.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, you can," Albus began, eyes twinkling, "I'm here to retrieve Petunia and Vernon Dursley and take them home. They are to be released into my custody, so if you would please bring them to me it would be appreciated."

The guard looked at the old man and turned to his computer, opening the file that listed the prisoners and the various statuses.

"Petunia and Vernon Dursley you said?" he asked, typing in the names to bring up the correct files.

"Yes, they are to be released to my custody so I can take them home," Albus repeated confidently.

"Sir, according to this, they are supposed to be going on trial for child abuse and child neglect soon. There is no mention anywhere of either prisoner being released. However, since it sometimes takes a few minutes for files to update, may I have your name? I can check with my superiors to verify whether or not they are due to be released. Once that's verified, I can expedite your request."

"My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. If you would bring the Dursleys to me quickly please, I need to make certain they get home soon before going to my next appointment," Albus stated, casting a mild compulsion charm.

"Wait here please," the guard said, before standing and walking through a door behind his desk.

A few minutes later, the guard came back, with two other officers in tow. They glanced briefly at the guard behind the desk before focusing once more on the elderly man in front of them.

"You say that Vernon and Petunia Dursley are supposed to be released into your care, is that correct?"

"Certainly it's correct. Please, could we move this along? I have another appointment later this morning."

"If you could come with us, sir? We have a room where you may wait for them, if in fact they are to be released."

"Thank you, that's most kind," Albus said, pulling a lemon drop from his pocket and putting it in his mouth.

"Excuse me, but what was that?" one of the officers asked.

"Oh, it was a lemon drop, my favorite candy. Would you like one?"

"Sure," the officer said, warily. Neither had seen any sort of wrapper on the candy, if candy it was.

Albus handed one of the sweets to the officer, who turned and went back through the door. The other officer put his hand under Albus' elbow and began walking toward the door.

"I'll take you to the room where you may wait. My colleague has more than likely gone to check on your request."

Albus smiled and followed the officer into a room, while not large, wouldn't be too uncomfortable to wait in while the Dursleys were found and released. He smiled at the officer, eyes twinkling.

"I noticed that you didn't remove a wrapping from your lemon drop. I've never seen lemon drops being sold unwrapped in a shop. I assume you unwrap them yourself and then carry a few with you?"

"Oh no, young man. My lemon drops aren't bought from a shop. A friend and colleague of mine makes them for me. A special favor, you might say."

"I see. If you'll excuse me please, I need to get back to my desk. You don't need to worry about your safety while here. If you look into the corner just above the door, you'll see the security camera. No one will be able to come in or leave without us knowing."

A short time later, after the officer who had taken Albus to a room had gone to his desk, the officer who had been handed the lemon drop was looking at a small field drug test, in which a small bit of the lemon drop Albus Dumbledore had given him rested. He took an eye dropper and placed a small amount of liquid into some of the compartments of the test, and watched as the liquid changed color. Making notes on both the sweet and the test results, he went to his superior with his findings. After reading the notes and examining the test himself, the officer's superior looked up.

"Where is this man now?"

"Sir, Constable Warren took him to one of the interrogation rooms to wait. I believe he was letting the man think he was being allowed to wait there while we left to bring the Dursleys to him. He's been here before, insisting we release the Dursleys to him."

"Please escort the man to a different accommodation. Attempting to drug a Constable is serious, and charge him for that. He may be delusional, since he obviously believes we'll release two prisoners to him without proper paperwork just because he wants us to do so, so make sure it's a cell that is frequently checked, both by camera monitoring, and someone who will look into the cell. Also make sure he doesn't have anything else that could be used to harm anyone, including himself. Given the fact he's obviously elderly, there's a good chance he could be suffering from either senility or dementia, so I also want a physician to come in to check his health."

"Understood, sir. I'll take care of it myself."

Thirty minutes after Albus had gone to the jail to have the Dursleys released, he was escorted into yet another room. Despite his protests, a pair of officers went through his pockets, removing his wand, his lemon drops, and numerous other things, and then instructed him to change into the bundle of clothing they laid on the table.

"You don't understand. I have an important appointment to go to, and need to see the Dursleys home before going to that appointment. I don't have time to change into this clothing, and have no reason to do so. Please return my belongings and then stand aside so I may leave, gentlemen."

"I don't think so, sir. That lemon drop you gave the other officer was tainted. There is also some concern about your health, so we've contacted a physician to make sure you're in good health, but due to the candy being tainted, you're going to be our guest for at least a few days, if not more, until a Magistrate is able to decide what happens. Until then, we'll keep your belongings safe, but they won't be in your possession. And to further put your mind at ease, there will be security cameras to ensure no one is able to harass you, and that no one is able to enter or leave the room where you'll be without someone knowing. Now please change clothing sir, as you're under arrest. If the Magistrate decides to release you later, that's fine, but until then, you're staying here."

Reluctantly, Albus changed into the clothing provided, before being taken to a different room where his photograph and fingerprints were taken. He was then given a short exam by a physician, before being taken to another room and led inside. He noted the security camera just outside the room when it was pointed out, and sat down on the thin cot, trying to figure out how he was going to get to the Wizengamot before Sirius' trial. After being told repeatedly these muggles had ways to watch everyone coming and going, he couldn't risk calling Fawkes, and without his wand, he couldn't Apparate or create a portkey. It wouldn't do to have the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, and Leader of the Light to be accused of a violation of the Statute of Secrecy. So he did his best to think of a way to convince the people here a mistake had been made so he could be set free.


	20. Chapter 20

“What do you mean, I can't take my nephew in? You people just stormed into my brother's home and arrested him along with my sister in law, and took Dudley to some _stranger's_ home to stay. When I was _finally_ informed of what you had done with Dudley, I was told my home would need to be _evaluated_ before he could stay with me. Against my better judgment, I allowed your so-called evaluators into my home, because my nephew needs to be with his family until my brother can get this misunderstanding straightened out and can take care of him again. And you want to say I can't care for my nephew?” Marjorie Dursley's face was red as she finished her rant.

“Miss Dursley, it is standard procedure to inspect and evaluate the potential home of a child in cases like these. We must ensure that any home a child may be placed in is going to be a place that the child will be cared for and is in the child's best interest. Unfortunately, your home was found to be unsuitable as a possible home for Dudley Dursley, despite his blood relationship to you,” the Child Protection worker stated, glancing down at the notes taken during the home evaluation.

“Nonsense, I'm his family! Dudley should be allowed to stay with me, despite what you may think.”

“Miss Dursley, when your home was evaluated, the worker doing the evaluation was almost bitten by one of a number of dogs in the house. It's in the report that your home is small, and given the number of dogs on the property, more closely resembles a _kennel_ than a house where someone would make a home, especially if a child will be living there. The worker also wasn't able to find any sort of licensing that would be needed if you _are_ operating a kennel out of your home. Add that to the fact at least one of the dogs appeared vicious, it would not be in your nephew's best interest to stay with you. This agency will not place a child in a home where there is even a slight chance they could be hurt.”

“Ripper just doesn't like strangers, so was defending his home. That isn't being vicious.”

“And the other dogs? I see in the report there was at least one dog there nursing a litter of pups.”

“Yes well, Mabel is one of my females, yes. I sell the pups, although I don't think I'll sell all of this litter. There is at least one that is too small for the breed; a runt. No one will buy a runt. So this may be Mabel's last litter. I'll not keep a bitch that produces a runt. A runt means there's something wrong with the pup, so there must be something wrong with Mabel. You see it all the time when raising dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there will be something wrong with the pup.”

“Interesting. And do you have this same train of thought in regard to human beings?”

“It's part of nature, sir, people aren't just born with something wrong unless it's passed down from someone.”

“And, Miss Dursley, you have just clearly demonstrated yet another reason why your home is not a suitable environment for your nephew Dudley. Thank you for coming in. Good day to you.”

Dudley Dursley wasn't happy at all. First his freak cousin disappears, then his parents were arrested, and he was taken to live with people he didn't know. No matter how many times he screamed he wanted to live with his Aunt Marge, he was just told that his Aunt Marge wouldn't be taking care of him. Now, he wasn't allowed to eat all of the sweets he wanted to, he was told he had to do chores, and the people he was staying with just ignored his tantrums, so he couldn't even use those to get his own way anymore. He kept trying to get his way, though. It usually worked with his parents, so why wasn't it working now?

Dudley was currently using a broom to sweep the debris and grass clippings of the freshly mowed lawn from the walk, something that his foster father, Lawrence Stephens, had told him was one of his new chores. Mr. Stephens mowed the lawn, and it was Dudley's responsibility to sweep the walk clean after he was finished.

“When you've finished sweeping up Dudley, come inside and wash up. Maria will be home from the clinic soon and we'll be having dinner then. There's something that we wanted to talk to you about after dinner.”

“Why do I have to do so much work around here? Mum and dad never made me work like this,” Dudley complained.

“Dudley, Maria and I don't ask you to do much in the way of chores. We ask that you keep the bedroom you use tidy, we ask that you wipe the dishes dry after Maria or I wash them, we ask you to sweep up the clippings from the walk after the lawn is mowed, and we ask that you bring your laundry to the laundry room at the end of the week so all of the laundry can be washed. That isn't a lot of work.”

“I never had to do anything like this when I lived with mum and dad.”

“So you've said. You've also screamed you want your video games, sweets, and a boy named Piers Polkiss to come visit.”

“He's my friend, so I want to see him.”

“What you don't seem to understand Dudley, is all of the things you scream that you _want_ are considered _privileges_ in this house. You seem to think those are things you have a right to have. And that's just one of the things Maria and I will be discussing with you after dinner.”

“What are we having for dinner?” Dudley asked, distracted by the mention of food.

“I made a vegetable stew that Maria especially likes. We're also having a fruit compote for dessert.”

“When does Maria come home? I'm hungry.”

“She'll be home soon, possibly within fifteen or twenty minutes. You can either have milk or a glass of juice with dinner. Which one do you want?”

“Why can't I have a soft drink? Mum always let me have a soft drink with dinner.”

“Because soft drinks have a lot of sugar, and they aren't good for you to have all the time. Once in a while, yes, but not every night.”

The sound of a door opening and closing was soon followed by a woman's voice.

“Lawrence, Dudley, I'm home.”

As she walked into the kitchen, Maria Stephens was folded into a hug by her husband.

“You're home early, Maria. Not much traffic today?”

“And the fact one of the other doctors offered to see my last patient so I could come home. Fortunately Doctor Sims knows we have a new foster child, so told me to go ahead and start home.”

“Dudley, please set the table while Maria gets settled. Then we'll have dinner.”

As Maria set down her handbag and hung up her jacket, Dudley's muttered complaining could faintly be heard. One sentence in particular was said a bit louder than the rest.

“I get treated just like the freak that got Mum and Dad in trouble here.”

Raising a brow, Maria looked toward her husband. With a nod, he answered her unasked question and walked to the doorway of the dining room.

“Dudley, please come into the living room. Maria and I would like to talk to you before dinner.”

When Dudley entered the room, Maria pointed to a chair, wordlessly telling Dudley to sit down.

“Dudley,” Maria began, “would you care to repeat what you just said in the dining room?”

“I said I'm getting treated like the freak who got Mum and Dad in trouble here.”

“First, as I understand it, the boy is your cousin,” Maria said, before Dudley interrupted.

“He's still a freak.”

“Who taught you saying that about someone is in any way acceptable? Never mind, because my guess is, your parents taught you that. So why don't you explain to me what your parents told you the word 'freak' means?” Maria requested, voice tight with anger.

“Someone not normal. Mum, dad, and me, we're normal. A freak is somebody that does strange stuff or does something so people always look at them. Somebody with something wrong with them.”

“Dudley, would you say that something someone had no control over made them a 'freak', as your parents taught you the meaning?” Maria asked, eyebrow raised.

“What do you mean? How can somebody not control if they're a freak or not?”

“Most of the people who live around here have dark hair. Your hair is blond, so makes you stand out here, and people look at you because of that. Does that make you a freak as your parents taught you the meaning?” Lawrence asked.

“Lots of people have blond hair. I get it from my Mum, she said. That doesn't mean I'm a freak.”

“Am I a freak according to what your parents taught you, Dudley?” Maria asked, voice deceptively sweet.

“You're a doctor for kids, you said. Mum and dad says someone like that is the right sort and respectable. Why would you think mum and dad would say you're a freak?”

Maria was quiet for a moment, then sat down and slowly began to roll up one of her trouser legs, then the other. The shoes were the same, but one of her legs looked different.

“When I was a child, my family was driving to the shore for a short holiday, and there was an accident. Someone else hit my parents' car, and I was badly injured. It took emergency workers a couple of hours to be able to get everyone out because my parents' car was almost crushed in places, and we were all taken to hospital. My injuries caused a bad infection, and no matter what the doctors did, the infection wasn't getting better, so they had to remove my leg from just above the knee to save my life. If they hadn't, the infection would have killed me. I've worn a prosthetic leg since I was not much younger than you are right now. And it isn't something I asked for, nor is it something that the doctors, or my parents could control. It just happened. So I ask you again: am I a freak, according to what your parents taught you Dudley?”

“I-I don't know. You look normal when both your trouser legs are down, and you're a doctor. I don't know.”

“Maybe you should think about what the word 'freak' actually means, and then ask yourself if what your parents taught you a freak is was correct and true. There's a dictionary in the bookcase in the hall. I suggest you look up the meaning of the word. We can continue this discussion when you've had time to not only find and think about the definition, but what Maria and I have said tonight. For now, dinner is getting cold, and I'm sure Maria is hungry,” Lawrence said quietly, “let's have our dinner.”

The next day, Harry was feeling much better, so he got ready to go to the summer program center. After dressing, he walked into the small dining room for breakfast. Lord Black was still looking at his newspaper, so Harry stayed quiet. After a few moments, Lord Black put his newspaper down.

“Good morning, Lord Black.”

“Good morning, Mr. Potter. Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes Sir, I am. Am I allowed to go to the summer program today?”

“No more aches, Mr. Potter? You no longer feel hot? Your throat is no longer sore?”

“No Sir, I feel better now.”

“Well, I'll call Healer Greengrass so she can make sure, hmm? I don't want to have you get worse if you're still slightly ill and don't realize it because you feel better than you did when she saw you last. If Healer Greengrass says you're well, you may go to the summer program center.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“That's quite all right Mr. Potter. I'll contact Healer Greengrass after breakfast.”

As Harry began eating his breakfast, Arcturus watched him carefully. He was pleased to see Harry had begun to slow down when eating, and was doing his best to sit up in his chair, rather than lean forward over his plate. As he reached for his glass of milk, Arcturus spoke up.

“Sip it, Mr. Potter, remember, you don't need to try to swallow large amounts. If you try to drink it too quickly, you could have problems and begin coughing.”

After breakfast, Arcturus went to the Floo and called Amy Greengrass.

“Good morning, Lord Black. What can I do for you?”

“Good morning, Healer Greengrass. Young Mr. Potter says he's feeling better, and has asked to go to his summer program today. I told him I would allow it if you said he was well again from his cold.”

“So you'd like me to examine him to be certain? I'd be happy to; one moment, just let me grab my medical bag and I'll step through.”

Arcturus stood and stepped back, and a moment later, Amy Greengrass stepped out. After brushing off the soot, she faced Arcturus.

“Where is Harry? And were you able to arrange for one of the Goblin Healers to examine him to find out what's wrong with his scar?”

“Harry said he was going into the library after breakfast; he wanted to read a bit while waiting for you to arrive. As for arranging to have his scar examined, I've scheduled an appointment at Gringotts for tomorrow. I didn't want to wait very long if it had you that concerned.”

“Any other issues or concerns you wanted to bring to my attention before I see him? I know he still needs his inoculations for the magical illnesses, and I'm still waiting on his Muggle medical records to discover if he needs any vaccines for those illnesses.”

“Jilly has mentioned nightmares; he seems to be slowing down when he eats his meals now. Would you mind checking that he's gaining weight? He was underweight when he arrived here, as you know.”

Nodding in acquiescence, she followed Arcturus to the library, where Harry was reading.

“Hello, Harry, Lord Black tells me you said you feel better.”

“I do feel better, Healer Greengrass. Lord Black said I would be allowed to go to my summer program today if you said I was well from my cold.”

“Well, let me examine you to see if you're truly over your cold and well again, Harry. Will you stand in front of me, please?”

Amy Greengrass started her scan, noting that the issues with Harry's scar and core were the same, however, he no longer had a cold. Smiling a little, she knelt to Harry's height.

“Well, Harry, it looks like you're all better from your cold now. I need to talk to Lord Black for a moment before I leave, but I'm glad you're better now.”

“Thank you Healer Greengrass. I have fun at the summer program, but Lord Black said if I was sick I couldn't go.”

“Mr. Potter, why don't you ask Jilly for a glass of juice? I'll be out to take you to your summer program after Healer Greengrass and I have our talk. Wait for me in the dining room, please.”

After Harry left the library, Amy brought out the parchment of the latest scan from her wand. Glancing briefly, she highlighted the same two areas she had before.

“There is still something wrong with his core, and the Dark magic is still around his scar, Lord Black. Hopefully they can find out what's wrong at Gringotts tomorrow. I'll make a copy of this for you to show the Healers at Gringotts; I need the original for Harry's file. I also want to get him updated on his various magical vaccines, but that can begin next week, to give him more time for his body to recover from the malnourishment he suffered with his Aunt and Uncle. He _should_ weigh approximately twenty-eight point six kilograms, but right now weighs approximately twenty-two kilograms. That's slightly less than the average weight of a _seven_ year old boy, Lord Black, and Harry is nine. The good news is that he has gained some weight while here. Keep encouraging him to eat, and I would recommend adding at least two or three snacks to his daily diet. Fruits, nuts, and dairy are all good choices for snacks to help him with his weight and not overload on sweets. I can check his weight again in a couple of weeks. I also want you to continue with the nutrient potion with his meals; they're obviously helping.”

“Thank you Healer Greengrass, you've just answered the questions I had been about to ask. Honestly, I keep waiting for the day he asks how you can examine him without the things he would have seen at a muggle doctor's office or clinic, but so far he hasn't.”

“Unfortunately, Lord Black, given his condition when he arrived here, I think it's unlikely he saw a muggle physician. His Aunt and Uncle would have been hesitant to allow a medical professional who is _obligated_ to report cases of child abuse to authorities, to even see Harry. His abuse would have been reported much sooner if they had taken him to a physician.”

“There are times when I greatly resent the need to keep the Wizarding world secret. I would dearly love the opportunity to curse those animals masquerading as people into oblivion,” Arcturus said, his face showing his irritation.

“I can sympathise, Lord Black. Before I go, how is your grandson Sirius responding to his treatment?”

“The Healer you recommended says he's responding well; while he does have nightmares, that is to be expected. He's also underweight still, but gaining weight back, and the Healer has him on a stringent potions regimen to help repair the damage done by his stay in Azkaban, undeserved as it was. So far, he's on the mend.”

“I'm glad to hear that, Sir. I'll be going so you can take young Harry on his outing before he gets too anxious or excited.”

A frown creased the brow of the Constable sitting in front of the computer. The way their newest prisoner kept insisting he needed to take a pair of prisoners home might have been delusional, but the Constable decided to check the files anyway, just to be on the safe side. Looking at the computer screen, the Constable saw that a note from a Magistrate in Family Court had been attached to the file. Because the prisoners the elderly new prisoner kept insisting needed to be taken home had been charged with Child Abuse and Child Neglect, the Constable looked at the attached note.

_Possible accomplice still under investigation; if anyone beyond a solicitor, physician, or Court employee attempts to see or arrange release for defendants, the Child's solicitor, Kyle Stanton (Morton, Greengrass, and Stanton), as well as the Magistrate for the Child's Family Court hearing, are to be notified. Child's solicitor will inform the Child's guardian ad litem._

After making note of the contact information, the Constable reached for the phone.


	21. Chapter 21

As soon as Harry and Arcturus arrived at the center where the summer program was held, a high pitched voice was heard from their right.

“Harry! You're here!”

A moment later, Hermione had run to them to engulf Harry in a hug.

“What happened? Why weren't you here the other day? I was worried you weren't coming back,” the young girl babbled.

Seeing the panic in Harry's eyes, Arcturus spoke up.

“He had caught a cold Miss Granger. I didn't want to allow him to come here until he was well again.”

“But you feel better now, right?” Hermione asked, looking at Harry, concerned.

“I had to stay in bed for a couple of days, but I feel better now, thanks.”

“You came just in time; they just unlocked the gate on the pool, and the activities haven't started yet, so we can go swimming for a little while if you want to.”

“Swimming?” Harry asked nervously, blinking a few times, “I don't think I have anything to wear swimming with me, Hermione.”

“Mr. Potter, why do you sound nervous? Were you never taught how to swim?” Arcturus asked, a single brow raised in question.

“My Aunt and Uncle made sure my cousin had swimming lessons Sir, but they always sent me to stay with Mrs. Figg. They said someone like me didn't deserve to go to a pool in summer,” Harry answered quietly, looking at his feet.

“Well, that is something we shall have to remedy then, isn't it, Mr. Potter? We reside on an island, for all intents and purposes; it is only sensible to learn how to swim. For today, as you do not have a swimming costume with you, you should try to participate in other activities here, however, I will be making sure you have lessons in how to swim,” Arcturus commented, with a slight nod.

“If we aren't going swimming, we could go to the activity room. They usually have different crafts to make in there, plus a few games. I made my father a wallet using one of the leather kits they have; all of the pieces of the kit are made so it's easy to put together, so we could do that if you want, Harry,” Hermione babbled, excited, before turning to Arcturus, “also, they have swimming classes here, as well as a lifeguard, Lord Black. I'm sure Harry could learn to swim with the class. I'm in one of them myself.”

“Mr. Potter, what do you think? Would you like to take swimming lessons here with your friend, or would you prefer to have me hire a swimming instructor for you at my estate?”

Thinking a bit, Harry looked from one to the other, then answered.

“I think I'd like to learn with Hermione, Sir, if you don't mind. She's my friend, and it would be more fun that way.”

“Then I shall find out when the classes are held here and make sure you have a swimming costume before your first class. We will be leaving a bit earlier than we usually do today, Mr. Potter. You have an appointment with a physician later, however, I didn't want to deprive you of your time here. I will come to take you to your appointment in two hours.”

“Yes Sir. Thank you,” Harry said, a huge smile on his face. Grinning at Hermione, the two of them started toward the activity room, both trying to fill in the other about what had happened since the last time they saw each other.

Kyle had just begun to open files related to various cases he was working on when his secretary walked in his office. With a look of mild curiosity, he looked up from the parchment in his hand.

“Yes, Deborah, what is it?”

“Mr. Stanton, someone called the office just before you came in this morning. He left a number for you to call him back,” she said, handing him a slip of paper.

“Did the person give any indication as to what he needed to speak to me about?”

“Only that it was important, Sir.”

“Thank you, Deborah, I'll contact the person after finishing my notes for this file.”

Ten minutes later, Kyle finished his notes, and walked to the Floo, studying the phone number. It looked similar to the telephone number he'd been given for his house in Little Whinging. On a hunch, he walked away from the Floo to his assistant's desk.

“Deborah, this looks like a muggle telephone number to me. Rather than use the muggle extension for the Floo, I'm going to briefly go into muggle London to make the call. Please inform anyone who asks simply that I'm out of the office, please, and take any messages. I should be back shortly, however, if I'm going to take longer, I'll send you a message.”

“Certainly, Mr. Stanton. How long should I wait before beginning to expect a message?”

“I expect the call should be approximately ten minutes, so if I haven't returned in, let's say twenty minutes, expect a message. I can never properly guess how much information someone needs to pass on regarding a case.”

“Of course, Mr. Stanton,” she said, returning to her work.

Kyle left the office, and walked the short distance to the entry of Diagon Alley, crossing into the Leaky Cauldron. From there, he glanced around, eventually seeing a telephone box. Again looking at the piece of parchment showing the telephone number, he reached into his pocket for the required money, and made the call. After a few rings, Kyle heard a male voice answer.

“This is Constable Parker, how may I help you?”

“Constable, my name is Kyle Stanton, and I'm a solicitor. My assistant gave me a message that someone from this number needed to speak to me, saying the person calling indicated it was urgent.”

“Yes, Mr. Stanton it is urgent. I was the one who rang your office. There was a note on the file for two prisoners in our jail that said to contact you and the magistrate who heard the custody hearing for your client if someone other than the prisoners' solicitors, a physician, or Court employee attempted to see them.”

“I understand. Perhaps it would be easier for me to come to you so we can discuss this. Is the address on the message you left with my assistant where you are right now?”

“Yes, Mr. Stanton it is. I'm on duty until half seven this evening.”

“Then I'll start over there now. I should be there in approximately two hours.”

Two hours after the call ended, Kyle walked into the jail and up to the counter.

“My name is Kyle Stanton. I'm here to speak to Constable Parker.”

“I'm Constable Parker Mr. Stanton. If you'll wait a moment, I'll let someone know I'm going to be away from the desk for a short while so someone can be sent to relieve me while we talk.”

Five minutes later, the Constable was showing Kyle into a small interview room, pulling the door shut behind him. After sitting down and taking a small notepad from his jacket pocket, Kyle took a pen from the table, preparatory to taking notes, and focused on the Constable sitting across from him.

“Now, you said during the telephone call there was a note added to the files of two prisoners that I and the Magistrate were to be informed if anyone other than their solicitors, physicians, or Court employees attempted to see these prisoners. So I'm going to assume that happened. What are the names of the prisoners?” Kyle asked, pen poised over the notepad.

“Someone came in demanding that Vernon and Petunia Dursley be released into his custody. He didn't ask to visit them, he just demanded we release them to him. It wasn't the first time he was here, either.”

“How many times before had this person been here, and was the demand the same each time?”

“At least once before while I was on duty, and he demanded the same the first time he was here. He kept staring at me as if I should simply do what he told me to, but I checked the file on the computer, and the Dursleys aren't scheduled to be released before their trial. The man was more than a bit annoyed I didn't jump to bring the Dursleys to him before he left the first time he was here, if you want my honest opinion.”

Kyle made a few notes in the notepad, making sure to write ' _possible compulsion charm attempt?'_ ' in the notes. After a few moments, he looked up and continued with his questions.

“Were you on duty the next time he arrived?”

“Yes, and he demanded the same thing, that we release the Dursleys to him. This time however, he pulled what looked like a candy from his pocket and put it in his mouth. The Constable who was working with me that day asked him what it was the man had just eaten, and being told it was candy, mentioned that he would have expected a sweet shop to wrap a candy like that individually. So the man mentioned his candy wasn't purchased in a sweet shop, that a 'friend of his' made them up for him, and offered one to the Constable who was working with me that day. The Constable took the candy, but didn't eat it.”

“What did the Constable do with the candy?” Kyle asked, making more notes.

“He took it into one of the small offices here and tested it Mr. Stanton. He came back and said the candy had been tainted. It was at that time this man was placed under arrest and put in a holding cell. Until we know what the candy was tainted with, he's being held for attempting to assist prisoners to escape justice, although he was told the reason he was being held was attempting to drug a law officer.”

“Constable, I'd like a copy of this person's arrest report if you don't mind. Also, if and when you find out what was in the candy, I'd like a copy of that report as well.”

“You sound as though you know who this man is already, Mr. Stanton. Care to share?”

“Not at this time, no. I'm sure you understand, Constable.”

“I do, actually. My sister's father in law is a solicitor. Give me a moment, and I'll get the copy of the man's arrest report for you.”

Five minutes later, the Constable handed Kyle a copy of the arrest report, the words 'Certified Public Access Copy' stamped in red at the top. Looking at the report, Kyle knew he needed to inform Lord Black of the latest development.

Although anything that might have been termed personal identifying information had been marked out, the name and photograph was of Albus Dumbledore. Thanking the Constable for his time, Kyle left to return to his office. He had an urgent Floo call to make.

The goblin Healer had just finished the last of the examinations, and made several notes on the parchment. A complete workup for Harry Potter had led to more questions than answers; however, with the information now gathered, the goblins now knew what needed to be done.

“Please stay lying down, Mr. Potter. I need to speak to Lord Black for a moment, and some of the tests that were done might make you a bit dizzy if you try to stand too soon. We will be just outside the door should you need one of us.”

After looking briefly at Harry, Arcturus followed the Healer out of the room, then raised a brow inquiringly.

“I'm going to assume I won't like what you're about to tell me, so why don't we skip the usual Healer's chatter and go right to what you found out,” Arcturus stated, voice low.

“Beyond the injuries that had been found by Healer Greengrass, we found two major concerns in regard to Mr. Potter, and one will need to be dealt with before the other.”

“And what are those concerns?”

“The first is the scar on Mr. Potter's forehead. This must be dealt with before the second concern, and it would be best to see it dealt with as soon as he is strong enough. There is Dark residual magic attached to his scar that doesn't match Mr. Potter's magical signature. It is almost sentient, which is worrying, as it will almost certainly be parasitic to Mr. Potter's magical energy. Because I do believe it to be parasitic is the reason it should be dealt with before the second concern; if it isn't, the residual magic could become stronger as a result.”

“And what is the second concern? Your explanation so far leads me to believe the second concern relates to the first.”

“Someone placed a powerful binding on Mr. Potter's magical core, and given the way it has strengthened and expanded, it was done when Mr. Potter was very young, possibly while still either an infant or toddler. At the moment, if I were to be asked my opinion, I would estimate that with the binding in place, Mr. Potter is only able to access just under half his core's magic. Which is another reason why I recommend the residual magic in the scar be dealt with first.”

“Is there any way to weaken this parasitic residual magic? And what are the risks to young Mr. Potter?” Arcturus asked, concerned.

“We could attempt to drain Mr. Potter's core in a controlled manner, before restoring the magic to the core following the removal of the parasite, thus denying the residual magic the energy it is currently feeding from, but there are risks involved. If we need to drain the core to a significant degree, while it would weaken the parasitic residual magic, it could render Mr. Potter a Squib if we aren't able to return the energy quickly enough, because for all intent and purposes, the Dark residual magic could attempt to maintain its hold on Mr. Potter, and effectively burn out his magical core and the channels through which the magic of his core travels. We will be doing everything we can to contain the parasite before this can happen, if this is the option you choose for Mr. Potter.”

“Are there other options for treating this?”

“We could take Mr. Potter into a goblin ritual, and try to contain and remove the parasite in that way. For this option, we would need the approval of not only his magical guardian, but the Director. We understand that you are caring for Mr. Potter while his godfather, your grandson, Sirius Black is recovering Lord Black, however, Gringotts is aware that it is your grandson Sirius Black who is the magical guardian of Mr. Potter. Those two options have the greatest chance of success.”

“How soon do you need a decision?”

“It would take at least a week to prepare for either option, although during that time Mr. Potter should begin a potion regimen to help bring his health and strength to where it should be for his age. He should be strong enough after completing the potions for either treatment to be administered. I can give you a list of the potions needed so you may have them made, or I can arrange for the Gringotts Healers to supply them to Mr. Potter.”

“I'll be visiting my grandson soon, and discuss the options with him. I'll let you know the decision soon. In the meantime, I would prefer Gringotts supplied the potions for Mr. Potter. I don't trust potions purchased in an Apothecary, as you never can be sure of the competence of the brewer, and Mr. Potter's health is too important to ask my house elves to attempt making them for him,” Arcturus said, glancing again through the doorway at Harry.

“I believe he's rested from the examinations Lord Black. You may go in and see him, and I'll see to it you have the required potions before you leave Gringotts. He only needs to change from the examination gown into his clothing.”

Nodding, Arcturus entered the room to help Harry change, already planning to visit his grandson within the next day or two.

After placing his notes and the report obtained from the jail on his desk, Kyle took a moment to take a deep breath to center his thoughts. He then walked over to his Floo to call Lord Arcturus Black.

“Mr. Stanton, impeccable timing; I have only just returned with young Harry following his appointment. What can I do for you?” Arcturus asked upon answering the call.

“May I step through, sir? I have some information I believe you would be interested in.”

“May I assume this information is somehow related to your young client?”

“Peripherally, but I believe so, Lord Black.”

“You may come through.”

“One moment to allow me to gather the copies from my desk before stepping through,” Kyle stated, quickly taking the notes and report from his desk, then stepping into the Floo, stepping out again into Lord Black's study after a brief spin. He took a moment to clean the soot from his clothing before bowing his head to Arcturus.

“Lord Black, thank you for seeing me.”

“You said you had information to give me, Mr. Stanton, information that might relate to young Mr. Potter.”

“Yes sir, I believe it does.”

“One moment please, Mr. Stanton. Jilly!” Arcturus called, and a moment later, the house elf popped into the study.

“Master calls Jilly? How can Jilly serve?”

“Jilly, I need to leave briefly, and young Mr. Potter has just seen the Healer at Gringotts. Please watch over him until I return. He is supposed to begin taking potions to help his health, the first of which will be with dinner. I should return before then, however. I would like him to continue his practice exercises in his quill writing workbook. Do you understand?”

“Jilly understands, Master. Jilly will take good care of Master Harry, Jilly promises.”

After Jilly had popped out of the study, Arcturus looked at Kyle.

“Mr. Stanton, I have been keeping my grandson Sirius updated about young Mr. Potter, since Sirius is his godfather. To save a retelling, I wish for you to accompany me to see him this evening, and you can pass on your information then. I would have asked Sirius to come here, but he wishes to wait until he has fully completed his potions regimen before seeing Young Harry. The Floo address is 'Black Cottage', and the password is 'Hideaway'.”

“I understand sir, and of course I can accompany you.”

After watching Arcturus carefully, making sure he had the address and password correct, Kyle followed him through the Floo, stepping out into what looked like a large study.

Sirius had been reading in the study, attempting to relax after lunch before he needed to take his next potions doses, when the Floo flared. Setting the book aside, he stood just as Arcturus stepped out, followed by another man.

“Grandfather, I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow evening. Who is your guest? He looks vaguely familiar, as though I've seen or met him before.”

“Sirius Orion Black III, Heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, this is Kyle Stanton, a solicitor with the firm Morton, Greengrass and Stanton,who is representing young Harry Potter. He came to see me this evening and says he has information that relates to Harry, so I asked him to accompany me here before sharing the information. I also have a few things which you need to hear, as your input and decision are required for it as the child's godfather and magical guardian. First however, how are you feeling? Your Healer has had good reports so far,” Arcturus answered him, briefly laying a hand on his shoulder.

“I've almost finished the potions regimens the Healer set. He says I can move around more, and begin using magic again, but nothing strenuous or that requires a lot of power until I build my stamina, strength, and core reserves a bit more,” Sirius answered, before turning to Kyle, “Stanton, I believe my grandfather said? I remember my best friend James Potter mentioning that name. It's good to meet you, Mr. Stanton.”

“A pleasure, Heir Black, and yes, I was the solicitor of record for James and Lily Potter. I now represent their son Harry, as Lord Black said.”

“Grandfather, you said you both had information for me, and it related to my godson Harry. Why don't we all get a drink and then you can tell me what this is about?”

Twenty minutes later, Sirius was having a difficult time controlling his temper, and carefully set his glass down on the table beside him before focusing on Arcturus.

“Grandfather, I know what _my_ initial reaction is, so before I share what I'm thinking, what are _your_ thoughts, reactions, and recommendations? I think we can all agree that what happens next has to be what would be in the long brew best for Harry, no matter how satisfying revenge might be right now. Because my initial reaction is to find Albus _bloody_ Dumbledore and practice some of what I learned during Auror training. I would agree with what the goblin Healer recommended; remove the Dark residual magic before removing the core binding, we just need to decide which method would be best for Harry.”

“Heir Black, as Harry's magical guardian, I wonder if you have been given access to the account ledgers in regard to property and finances for Harry? If so, as his magical guardian, what do you want to do?”

“All I've seen so far have been overall statements, nothing itemized. Though please, away with this ‘Heir Black’ business - Grandfather told me we all have you to thank for getting Harry out of where he was and where he needs to be now, with us and recovering, That makes you a good man in my book…..”

“We would need to schedule an appointment with the Potter Account Manager Krogund for you to move forward with that aspect, as I don't have the authority; all I am able to do is gather the information needed and provide it to the involved parties legally,” Kyle stated.

“ Grandfather, would you go with me when I speak to Krogund? You have more experience in seeing patterns in finances than I do, and you may notice something I don't.”

“Of course Sirius. We can visit Gringotts during Mr. Potter's lessons with his tutor tomorrow. His lessons usually take two hours, sometimes three, depending on the lesson the tutor decides on for that day.”

“Do you think Harry is ready to see me yet Grandfather? He was a year old the last time I saw him, and I don't know if he would remember me, but I did swear I would look after him if anything happened to James and Lily. I need to see my godson, Grandfather.”

“Oh, I think that can be arranged, Sirius. Tomorrow evening, come for dinner. Young Harry seems to be the most relaxed during mealtimes, so it would be a good opportunity for him to get to know you again.”

“I'll be there. Is there anything else I need to know? For example, do we have a definite plan regarding Dumbledore?” Sirius inquired, brow furrowed in anger, “I realize that we have things in place to take him down legally, however, I can't deny I want him to suffer for what he's done as well.”

“In due time, Sirius. That particular dish needs a bit more cooling before it's served to Albus Dumbledore. Remember your lessons.”

“Yes, Grandfather. Is that everything I need to know now?”

Arcturus turned to look at Kyle, watching as the man nodded slightly, then turned back to his grandson.

“For now, that's everything you need to know or be aware of, and if anything comes up before dinner tomorrow, I'll speak to you after Harry is in bed,” Arcturus said, standing, with Kyle and Sirius following suit a moment later.

“Heir Black, it was a pleasure to meet you,” Kyle said, offering his hand.

“Likewise, Mr. Stanton,” Sirius replied, taking the hand offered.

“Grandfather, thank you, and I'll see you tomorrow for dinner.”

“Sirius, you're family, as is young Harry due to being your godson. No thanks are needed.”

Sirius watched, deep in thought, as Arcturus and Kyle stepped into the Floo and disappeared.

Despite the time, Arcturus knew he needed to speak to one other person that evening, so after Harry had been put to bed, Arcturus walked to his Floo to make a call.

“Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Office of Amelia Bones.”

A moment later, Amelia answered, a hint of weariness in her voice.

“Lord Black, what can I do for you this evening?”

“Madam Bones, may I step through? I have a few things to discuss with you, if you don't mind.”

“And you feel it can't be done over the Floo, Lord Black?”

“Madam Bones, you know as well as I that some things are best done face to face. Beyond that, I also have documents you may find interesting; and before you think to ask, yes, the documents relate to things we have discussed before.”

“Very well Lord Black, please step through,” Amelia said, before her head disappeared from the flames.

Making sure he had the relevant documents in his pocket, Arcturus stepped through the Floo into Amelia's office. After taking a moment to clean his clothing of soot, he regarded her intently.

“Madam Bones, what would you say if I told you I have evidence of where Albus Dumbledore is right now, as well as a written and signed statement which could be used to argue he quite probably risked the Statute of Secrecy? And that is in addition to what was likely an attempt to have the ability to return a child to an abusive environment.”

“Albus Dumbledore has been missing since the day of Sirius Black's trial; you're saying you may know where he is, Lord Black? As for the rest, I would need to see your evidence before I venture an opinion. Please, sit and I'll take a look at what you have.”

After taking a seat in a chair in front of the desk, Arcturus reached into his robes and removed the documents Kyle Stanton had given him, handing them to Amelia Bones. After a moment of reading, she raised her eyes to focus on Arcturus, her face unreadable.

“Albus Dumbledore was arrested by muggle police officers, on the day Sirius Black was tried, and that is why he was absent from the trial? Since the witness statement mentions Albus 'staring' at him, I can understand why it would be assumed Albus could have violated the Statute, as that could be an attempt to use any number of spells on a muggle, which could also be seen as muggle baiting, depending on what the spell was. Now the question becomes, why do you believe it to be an attempt to return a child to an abusive environment, Lord Black.”

“Albus Dumbledore went to that jail and specifically told the guards to release Vernon and Petunia Dursley into his care, apparently so he could return them to their home. These two people are in jail awaiting trial for child abuse and child neglect, Madam Bones. The only reason I can surmise for him to attempt to get them released would be to return a magical child he placed with them, a child who was removed from their care for abuse and neglect. Due to connections to my family, that child is now living on my estate under sanctuary, and I have been acknowledged by the muggle courts as the child's _guardian ad litem_.”

“Lord Black, may I ask who the child is, without asking you to violate sanctuary?”

“I'm sorry, Madam Bones, I cannot tell you that. Not because I feel you are untrustworthy, but because I cannot be assured of the trustworthiness of people you may need to interact with. What I can tell you is this child is an orphan, and has been since his parents were murdered in October of 1981.”

Amelia could feel her anger rise as she put together the clues of who the child might be. She needed to clarify one or two points before she could be sure.

“And the people Albus Dumbledore wanted released from jail are in jail for abusing and neglecting this child, who is magical, a child Albus Dumbledore placed with these people? And the statements you provided strongly suggest he may have used magic to get this accomplished? I want to be sure I understand.”

“That is exactly what I believe, Madam Bones. I believe the next step would be to attempt to bring Dumbledore back into the jurisdiction of the DMLE, wouldn't you?”

“So Albus Dumbledore, most likely believing that what he was doing was justified for some reason, was not only _idiotic_ in what he did, thinking he could walk out with a pair of prisoners in a _muggle_ jail just on his say so, he _risked_ the Statute of Secrecy trying to do it! Now I need to contact New Scotland Yard as well as MI-5 to get him transferred to our jurisdiction, which is not as easy as it may seem to some. And the worst of it is, if you're right, he would have _returned_ a magical child who had been _abused by_ _muggles_ to the same people who had been _abusing_ the child in the first place. Lord Black, I'm sure you'll understand my momentary lapse in professionalism right now, and please forgive me in advance for it. I am _very_ tempted to forgo putting that _manipulative_ old man on trial for what he's done and simply _strangle him with his own beard_!”

“Part of the reason Albus has been able to do what he has for so long, Madam Bones, is the fact he holds the position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, as well as being the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Many people believe he can do no wrong, simply because he is Albus Dumbledore. It has also been suggested he be appointed to the International Confederation of Wizards as Britain's representative, which would give him even more power to use his positions and authority to see any charges laid against him dismissed. I suggest removing those positions from him before the charges are laid. He would have no political leverage then, and be unable to use a Wizengamot member's privilege of refusing Veritaserum at trial.”

“I will certainly take your suggestions under advisement, Lord Black, and thank you for bringing this to my attention. I hate to cut our meeting short, but it seems I have a great deal of work to do to bring all of these particular nifflers in a row.”

“Quite understandable, Madam Bones. Good evening to you.”

Nodding his head slightly, Arcturus walked to the Floo and left Amelia's office.

It was just after breakfast, and Arcturus looked at Harry, seeming to have an internal debate with himself before lightly exhaling. He'd observed the boy fidgeting during breakfast, and chose not to say anything about it, more concerned with making sure the boy was able to finish his meal than he was about correcting table manners. Lessons in table manners could wait until the boy had become more accustomed to being allowed to actually eat more than what amounted to table scraps.

“Am I in trouble, Sir?” Harry asked in a small voice, noticing Arcturus looking at him.

“And why would you think you were in trouble, Harry? Have you done something you shouldn't have done?” Arcturus asked gently.

“I don't think so, but when Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia looked at me like that, I would usually be punished for something, even if it was for Dudley doing something wrong.”

“No, you haven't done anything wrong, and you aren't in trouble. I need to go to the bank later with my grandson to help him with something, and I was thinking about that. I did however want to ask you something.”

“What?” Harry asked, head tilted in curiosity.

“You said once that your aunt and uncle would ask someone named Mrs. Figg to look after you when they took your cousin on an outing. What do you think of Mrs. Figg? Did you like it when she looked after you for your aunt and uncle?”

“Will I get in trouble if I didn't like it?” Harry almost whispered, head down.

“Of course not. Why would you be in trouble for something like that? If you don't like something, I need to know, so I may think of a way to make it better, or at least think of a way to help you with it, even if you don't like it.”

“I didn't like it much, sir. Mrs. Figg would give me something to eat while I was there, but she would spend a lot of time showing me pictures of all of the cats she had, and the cats in her house were always trying to climb on things. I would sometimes go back to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's with their hair on my clothes, and I would get yelled at for it. It didn't smell good there, either. But Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia said I couldn't stay at their house by myself, so Mrs. Figg would look after me for them.”

“I see. I know Mr. Stanton saw some of what your cousin and his friends were doing to you, and tried to help. Did Mrs. Figg ever see anything like that?”

“I don't know sir. She never asked me anything about what they did.”

“Thank you Harry. Your tutor says you're doing well with your lessons. I read his report on your progress yesterday. Very well done, Harry. He said in his report that even if you don't understand something right away, you keep trying. I'm proud of you for that.”

“Only my teachers at Primary school ever said they were proud of me for my schoolwork. It would make Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia mad.”

“Why on Earth would doing well in your lessons make your aunt and uncle angry?” Arcturus asked, incredulously.

“My cousin Dudley didn't always do as good as me, sir. I wasn't allowed to do better than Dudley did in school.”

“It's 'as well as I', Harry, and they should never have told you you shouldn't try to do your best in school. Harry, do you understand what the word 'cheating' means?”

“I think so. Isn't that when you do something like copy from someone's paper if you don't know something?”

“That's one way of cheating, yes. Another way of cheating is not doing as well as you know you can on purpose, just the way you were doing because your aunt and uncle told you not to do better than your cousin. You were cheating when you did that; you weren't cheating the teacher or the school when you deliberately didn't do as well as you could on your lessons, but you were cheating. Because you were cheating _yourself_ by not doing your best. That is not something I want you to do here, am I understood? You will always do your best. If you don't do your best, and I learn that you haven't been doing your best, _then_ you will be in trouble.”

“Yes sir, I promise.”

“Excellent. Now, because you have been doing well in your lessons, while I am at the bank, instead of practicing in your quill writing workbook or reading one of your other lessons, you may go outside and play. Jilly tells me the elflings miss their playmate,” Arcturus added, with a small smile.

“Thank you, sir! I like playing with the baby elves. They always know fun games to play.”

“I need to leave for the bank in a few minutes. If you have finished eating, you may go outside. While I am gone, please listen to Jilly and Mipsy. They will be looking after you until I return.”

Arcturus watched as Harry stood from the table and rushed out the French doors that led to the garden outside. After taking a final sip of his tea, he stood and called for his elves.

“Jilly, Mipsy!”

Two pops and the elves were standing in front of him, eyes wide.

“Master calls Jilly and Mipsy! How may Jilly and Mipsy serve?”

“I must go to Gringotts; my grandson Sirius has asked for my help. While I am away, young Harry is in your care. He is allowed to play with the elflings and not work on lessons today. I expect you to keep him safe until I return. Sirius will also be joining us for dinner this evening, please prepare a meal for three, possibly four, as I don't know if young Harry's solicitor will also be joining us.”

“Jilly and Mipsy will watch over young Master Harry, Master. We likes young Master Harry, Master Harry plays with the elflings and the elflings don't get sad they be too little for workings yet.”

Assured Harry would be looked after until he returned, Arcturus went to his study and Flooed to Gringotts.


End file.
